


Loving Laura Hollis

by UselessLesbianWithAnxiety



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, F/F, Fluff, Headcanon, Mild Smut, Not-Quite-Mild Smut, Porn With Plot, Post-Canon, Smut, Soft Carmilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24540964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UselessLesbianWithAnxiety/pseuds/UselessLesbianWithAnxiety
Summary: After returning from their impromptu trip to Styria that cost Carmilla Karnstein her human life, she and her long time girlfriend Laura Hollis attempt to return to normalcy. Unfortunately, fear about their future together, given their varying amounts of mortality, hangs over their happily ever after. These fears are heightened as inexplicable time-shifts begin popping up in their city.
Relationships: Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein
Comments: 42
Kudos: 72





	1. Domestic "Bliss"

3 months had passed since Carmilla Karnstein once again became a vampire, giving up her human life to save the souls of hundreds of women whose deaths she’d caused while in servitude to her evil mother. It wasn’t something she’d wanted to do, but without atoning for her wrongdoing, she felt she would never deserve the life she now shared with her girlfriend Laura. 

To Carmilla, Laura was the embodiment of everything she felt she could never be. Laura was kind, compassionate, and always fought for what she believed in. That unabashed heroism initially drove Carmilla insane. For centuries before meeting Laura, Carmilla had adopted an apathetic nihilism about the world. Things were the way they were and no amount of belief or effort could change that. That attitude, of course, did not last. Within a mere few months Laura had shattered through Carmilla’s walls, awakening feelings she thought were lost to her forever. Though that was not where the end of their journey to happiness. 

They had battled through, anglerfish gods, lover’s quarrels, and literal fallen goddesses in pursuit of a life together. Their most recent battle was against Carmilla’s not-so-cheerful past. It was this last battle that returned Carmilla to her blood diet and aversion to sunlight. Even so, Laura, so filled with love and devotion, remained staunchly by her side. 

Laura’s unwavering love accompanied by the alleviation of so much guilt she’d held for so long brought Carmilla a clarity and drive she’d never known before. Only a few weeks after returning from their impromptu trip to Styria, Carmilla began applying to doctoral programs in philosophy. This proved to be quite a headache, but Laura was so encouraging and enthusiastic that Carmilla powered through the grunt work and sent in applications to six different programs. She had yet to hear back from any of them. 

On day 52 without word, Carmilla was startled awake by the sensation of another body falling onto hers. 

“Good morning beautiful.” Laura breathed into her ear and planted a big kiss on her cheek. Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura’s small frame and buried her face into her neck, which smelled of cocoa butter and cherry blossom. 

“Good morning yourself.” She whispered in response before pulling back to kiss Laura properly. The soft familiar sensation of their lips pressed together soothed Carmilla into a fluffy bliss, and for the next few minutes, her brain was fuzz. When Laura finally pulled back, she wore a broad smile. 

“So, look what came in the mail!” Laura said excitedly. She sat up on top of Carmilla and grabbed two folders that she had flung on the bed a minute ago. They were very thick, with official lettering typed across each. They bore university logos. 

“Are those-” Carmilla started, but was cut off. 

“Your result letters!” Laura chimed, too giddy to wait. “And look how thick they are! You know what that means.” Laura was practically bubbling over. 

“Now hold on cupcake, let’s not be too presumptuous.” Carmilla chided as she pulled herself into a sitting position, Laura scooting off her lap and cuddling up next to her. 

“Well, we won’t have to presume anything once they’re open,” Laura said. Carmilla nodded but didn’t move to open them. Despite what she might like to tell herself, she was nervous. Almost everything she did was either on a whim or under the command of her mother. She felt an illogical fear that now that she’d actually tried, the world wouldn’t be as kind to her.

Laura was quick to pick up on her discomfort. “Let’s do it together.” She said softly, taking Carmilla’s hand in her own and squeezing it tightly. With her other hand, she picked up the first of the packets. Swallowing her fear, Carmilla took her unoccupied hand and ripped through the seal. Laura then flipped the envelope and spilled its contents onto Carmilla’s lap. On the top of the stack lay a glossy paper with one big word scrawled across it:  _ Congratulations _ . Carmilla stared for a moment in shock before being snapped out of her stupor. 

“I knew it!” Laura exclaimed and unleashed an onslaught of kisses onto Carmilla’s cheek. Carmilla couldn’t help but giggle. “My girlfriend is the smartest-”  _ kiss _ . “Most beautiful-”  _ kiss kiss _ . “And incredible-”  _ kiss _ . “Vampire in the world”  _ kiss _ . 

Laura paused for a moment after that. Unspoken anxiety passed between them at the mention of Carmilla’s vampirism. It wasn’t something that they ever really talked about, and they did their best to pretend there wasn’t anything to worry about, to begin with, but they were both afraid. Carmilla’s immortality and Laura’s mortality were going to lead to a lot of challenges down the line, which they both ruminated on for a moment. Then they pushed past it, returning to what was supposed to be a happy moment. 

Carmilla turned her head to Laura. “I love you.” She said, her lips rubbing against Laura’s as she spoke. She felt Laura smile. 

“I love you too,” Laura said and pressed her lips into Carmilla’s. Hard. These kisses were fast and needy. Laura’s hand dropped Carmilla’s, opting instead to hold onto Carmilla’s bare hip, her tank top having rolled up in the night. 

These sudden moments of intensity had become common recently. Whenever Carmilla’s lack of humanity came up, they seemed to try to bury their worries in each other's bodies. As though maybe, if they kissed each other hard enough, and held each other tightly enough, the future might not ever come. 

Carmilla quickly became lost in the moment. With one quick motion, she pushed the letters off the bed and pulled Laura back onto her lap. Carmilla wrapped her fingers into Laura’s soft brown hair and tugged just hard enough for it hurt, which elicited a startled moan. That sound provoked moisture to begin pooling inside Carmilla’s cotton pajama shorts. She slid her free hand under Laura’s graphic tee, reveling in the lightly toned abs underneath; Laura took her yoga seriously. When her hand reached Laura’s chest, Carmilla splayed her hand over Laura’s breast and squeezed, simultaneously pulling her hair harder. 

Laura had to pull her lips away to suck in air, exhaling a low “Fuck.” Against Carmilla’s cheek. 

“Cursing already?” Carmilla purred into Laura’s ear, biting at her lobe. “I haven’t even done anything yet.” Her voice was low, and still a little gravelly from sleep. She pulled back and looked at Laura with dark, hungry eyes. Then, without warning, she pushed her back with inhuman strength. Laura landed on her back, head at the foot of their bed. Before she had a chance to be disoriented, though, Carmilla was on top of her, lips pressed into hers. Laura wrapped her hands around Carmilla’s vigorously grinding hips, but they only stayed there for a moment before Carmilla launched a downward descent, leaving wet kisses along Laura’s collarbone. Once she reached the collar of her shirt, she swiftly pulled it up and over Laura’s head, exposing her bare chest. 

“It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful you look underneath me.” Carmilla marveled, looking over Laura’s exposed flesh while making quick work of unbuttoning her jeans. Laura squirmed beneath the heat of her gaze. This was her favorite part. There was something so deliciously antagonizing about the anticipation. 

Carmilla peeled Laura’s jeans off and tossed them on the floor and picked up her trail of kisses, starting this time on Laura’s chest. The chill of being exposed to the air as well as her unbridled arousal meant that Laura’s nipples were already hard when Carmilla got to them. Tenderly, she slipped one into her mouth, holding it wither her teeth as she ran her tongue over the sensitive flesh. One of Laura’s hands found Carmilla’s hair and she pulled lightly as she whimpered. 

After a few more moments Carmilla took Laura’s unoccupied nipple in her hand and began rubbing rhythmically, mimicking the pattern with her tongue. Laura’s whimpering grew exponentially then, and her hips started to helpless grind against Carmilla’s. 

“Carm,” she forced out between subdued cries. “Please..” 

“Please what?” Carmilla asked with feigned confusion, bringing herself up so that her face was above Laura’s. She did not stop twisting Laura’s nipple. 

“Please-” Laura started but moaned instead of finishing, as Carmilla twisted particularly hard against her nipple. 

“Hmm? What’s that?” Carmilla murmured. “I can’t quite hear you, creampuff.” As she said this, Carmilla brought her knee right between Laura’s legs, applying generous pressure. “What is it that you want?” 

“You.” Laura finally got out between desperate breaths. 

“Oh is that so. In that case, I think I may be able to work something out.” Carmilla said, pushing her knee even harder against Laura. She could feel warm moisture against her skin. Laura cried out, bucking hard against the pressure. Carmilla took this as her cue to get to work and lowered herself down until she was between Laura’s legs. 

Laura’s sex was flushed a startling red, and dripping all over the sheets. Carmilla gently began cleaning the area with her tongue, eliciting several desperate moans from above. Laura’s clit was easy to find, and Carmilla brought it between her teeth, squeezing just the slightest bit, increasing lightly until Laura’s moans turned rapid and high-pitched. Satisfied, she relieved the squeeze a little and began running her tongue rhythmically over the nub. Laura’s hips were bucking uncontrollably now and she held tight to the comforter, knuckles white. 

When Laura’s moans grew to a sound level Carmilla knew meant she was close, she quickly slid two fingers inside Laura, thrusting them again and again against a spot she knew drove Laura crazy. Laura’s back arched sharply and she cried out a sound that sounded vaguely like Carmilla’s name.

When Laura’s moaning peaked, Carmilla brought herself back up to Laura’s face, whispering soft  _ I love yous _ against her hair as she softly worked her down from her high. Eventually, Laura’s eyes unclouded enough for her to remember her surroundings. 

“Fuck.” She managed as she caught her breath. “You’re incredible.” She kissed Carmilla softly, enjoying the taste of her own wetness against Carmilla’s lips. Carmilla pulled back slightly and smiled. 

“I do so love when you lavish me in adoration.” She murmured. 

“Hmm. What if I lavished you with something else?” Laura asked. 

“Like what?” Carmilla asked with a knowing smile. In place of a verbal answer, Laura pushed herself up into a sitting position and Carmilla along with her. She placed one thigh on either side of Carmilla’s hips and started pulling off her tank top. 

Carmilla obliged by raising her arms, exposing her jarringly pale chest, contrasted by dark brown nipples that were in Laura’s hands before the tank top hit the ground. Carmilla drew in a sharp breath, throwing her head towards the ceiling. Laura wasted no time sliding her hand underneath the band of Carmilla’s loose shorts.

Carmilla let out a low moan as she felt Laura make her way inside her. Laura never failed to find all her most vulnerable places and exploit them. Not even a minute passed before Carmilla was completely helpless. Her hips bucking uncontrollably against Laura’s precise thrusts, her fingers curled into claws sketching at Laura’s back. 

“You’re so easy.” Laura gloated against Carmilla’s open mouth. 

“Only for you, Creampuff.” Carmilla managed, but only barely. Laura felt Carmilla’s nails dug even harder into her skin as her back started arching. She let out a guttural cry into Laura’s ear as she rode the waves of her orgasm. As the aftershocks subsided, they both fell backward onto the bed. 

“That never gets old, does it?” Laura mused. 

“It most certainly does not,” Carmilla said, kissing her softly. 

“Well…” Laura started. “I think we should celebrate tonight.”

“Is that not what we just did?” Carmilla looked from Laura’s eyes to her lips. “Not that I’m opposed to a second round.” 

Laura laughed. “You know what I mean. I’m gonna call Laf and Perry.” 

“If you must.” Carmilla feigned dejection. With that, Laura placed one more kiss on Carmilla’s lips before rolling off the bed and heading out to the living room to retrieve her phone. 

Carmilla lay there as Laura walked out, allowing herself a few more moments of post-sex bliss before reluctantly starting her day. 


	2. Celebration

Carmilla lay sprawled across the big brown couch in the living room of their rather lavish apartment while she waited for Laura to finish getting dressed. Given that her trust fund had been accruing wealth for the better part of three centuries, they weren’t exactly pressed for money. This was probably a good thing since Laura had quit her job as a city news reporter last month. It was for the best. It had been evident to Carmilla for a while that Laura was unfulfilled with fluff pieces on floral shops and bland interviews with local politicians. After spending her first year of college exposing demon sacrifices and corrupt college boards, Laura couldn’t go back to high-school-newspaper level work. Carmilla smirked thinking about her overly ambitious lover. _You can take the girl out of Silas, but you can’t take the Silas out of the girl._ She was snapped out of her thoughts by Laura. 

“Hey, Carm, which shirt?” Carmilla looked up to see Laura standing at the doorway to their bedroom, wearing a yellow floral skirt and a sheer white bralette. She held up two shirts. The first was an off-gray sleeveless button-up, the other a black t-shirt with _Love Wins_ printed on the left collar.

“The gray one.” Carmilla answered. 

“That’s what I was thinking, thanks, babe.” Laura disappeared back into the bedroom.

A few minutes later she emerged fully dressed, and with some light lipgloss and mascara painted on her already-perfect face, her hair teased a little with dry shampoo. 

“Ready, Cupcake?” Carmilla asked as she swung her leather-clad legs off the couch and got up. 

“Yep!” Laura said, taking Carmilla’s hand as they left the apartment, on their way to meet their friends. They made idle conversion on the short walk to _Pride Without Prejudice_ , a small corner bar with drag shows every Friday night. 

When they arrived they found Perry and Danny already at a circular booth, engrossed in conversation.

“So then I’m like ‘You’re honor, if my opponent doesn’t even grasp the basic physiological aspects of vampirism, how can his argument be considered sound-’. Oh hey, guys!” Danny noticed them as they approached the booth. Perry jumped up.

“Congratulations Carmilla!” She chirped, going in for a huge. “I always knew you could do great things with a little self-determination.” Carmilla gave her a light squeeze back. Aside from Laura she wasn’t much of a hugger, but she knew Perry meant well, and didn’t want to spoil the moment. 

“Thanks.” She said. Perry sat back down and scooted farther away from the aisle to make room for Laura and Carmilla to fit in behind.

“She’s right,” Danny commented. “This is really impressive, Karnstein.” Carmilla offered her a genuine smile as she got situated. Though the two had a rocky start, they had finally settled into a casual friendship, with minimal mocking. 

“Bros!” Hollered a man’s voice over the bar music. Everyone looked up to see Kirsh and Mel approaching. 

“Hey Kirsh, Hey Mel,” Laura called out. “How’re things at the station?” 

Mel scoffed and she took a seat. “Infinitely more boring without you, but it pays the bills. What about you? I hear you’re seeing a doctor now.” She looked pointedly at Carmilla, who chuckled. 

“Not a doctor yet. It’ll be at least 5 more years before then.” 

“Are you going to have to, like, cut people up?” Kirsch asked. 

“Not that kind of doctor, beefcake.” Carmilla responded. 

The group chatted on for a while more, rejecting the waitress's offer to take their orders twice. 

“Perry, you sure Laf is coming?” Laura asked. She was getting hungry. 

“They said they’d be here, they were just finishing up some stuff in the lab when I left.” Perry sounded exasperated. 

“Everything okay Perr?” Danny asked. 

“Oh you know how LaFontaine gets when they think they’re on to something. You practically have to pry them off the microscope to have a conversation.” Perry paused to sip her drink. “Unfortunately for me, they’re a scientist first and a best friend second.” 

“Come on, you know that’s not true,” Carmilla said. “The cyborg may have an unnatural obsession with agar and electrodes, but they care more about you than I’ve ever seen any person cares for another.” She stopped and looked at Laura. “Well, almost.” Laura blushed. Six years later, and Carmilla still had the power to fluster her with an offhand comment. 

“So what’s got LaFontaine in such a craze this time?” Mel asked. 

“Oh, well apparently they’ve been getting some strange readings on the chemical chronometer, you know, detecting abnormalities where it doesn’t make sense. I think the machine is broken, they disagree.” Perry says with a touch of attitude. 

“What’s a chromometer?” Kirsh asked between bites of appetizer chips.

“Chronometer. We use it to determine if molecules have been shifted from a different time-space. It’s really useful with ghost residue or non-euclidean dimensions. This issue is that recently it’s been mismarking clearly current molecules as originating from 1680.” Carmilla cocked her head at that, squeezing Laura’s hand under the table.

“It’s not mismarking.” Everyone’s head spun to see LaFontaine standing before them, looking particularly disheveled. They were still wearing a partially buttoned lab coat over grimy jeans and a green button-up. There was a red circle around their remaining organic eye from specially-made single-eye goggles that now dangled around their neck and a smear of grease-covered one cheek. 

“Oh dear,” Perry said as she jumped up and began fussing over LaFontaine. 

“What’d you say?” Carmilla asked. 

“I said it’s not mismarking.” LaFontaine began, rolling their eyes as Perry scrubbed at their cheek with a damp napkin. “I’ve clocked like thirty hours in the lab in the past two days, I’ve run every test possible. I’ve taken the thing apart and put it back together like five times.” 

“And you don’t think that may have had a negative effect on the reliability of the machine?” Carmilla quipped. 

“I built the machine, it’s not malfunctioning. It’s not randomly triggering a false year signature, it’s consistent. Molecules marked as present stayed marked as present during all the trials, and the same for the abnormal ones.” LaFontaine ran a hand through their messy hair. 

“Well, what kind of stuff is it reading weird?” Danny asked. 

“That’s what’s so strange. There doesn’t seem to be any correlation between the samples. Atmospheric nitrogen samples, acidic soil samples, a freaking saliva sample from one of my interns. Materials from like ten different projects are affected. It’s all stuff collected in this general area, but that’s about it.” With that, LaFontaine took in a large breath and sat down.

“So what you’re saying if I’m not mistaken, is that some of our environment has somehow been transported here from the year 1680, and we have no idea why?” Mel asked, taking a swig from her pint. 

“Correct.” LaFontaine responded. 

After a few moments of contemplative silence, Laura piped up. “Well, if anyone is going to get to the bottom of whatever weird is going on, it’s going to be you.” She smiled at LaFontaine. “But for tonight, how about kicking back a little with your friends. Carmilla did something truly amazing, soon you’re not gonna be the only doctor in the group.” Everyone shared a laugh. “So how about we drink a little too much and enjoy each other’s company? Maybe even coax miss stoicism across the street to that karaoke place.” She grabbed Carmilla’s arm playfully. 

“Good luck with that one, Creampuff.” Carmilla said, smiling as she spoke. 


	3. Nostalgia

The sun was already casting afternoon shadows across the bedroom when Carmilla woke. She arched her back in a lazy stretch, which stirred her head enough to give her a throbbing reminder of the night before. She smiled to herself as the evening began to come back to her. Laura had downed at least three martinis, with everyone else more or less following her lead. Laura was an adorable drunk. Somehow she managed to become even more bubbly than usual, just about anything exciting her. Carmilla remembered Laura jumping up as the intro of  _ Closer _ by Tegan and Sara began playing over the speaker, giving Carmilla no choice but to dance with her. 

After a few more songs, Laura had leaned close to Carmilla’s ear, smiling mischievously. 

“ _ Hey Carm,”  _ she had said in a sing-song voice. “ _ Do you know what would make me really happy?”  _

Carmilla had laughed as she whispered back.  _ “What is that?” _

_ “If you,” _ She paused for dramatic effect.  _ “Went and sang karaoke with me!” _ She yelled the last part.

Carmilla had groaned...  _ “You know that’s not really my scene, Cupca-” _ Carmilla remembered being cut off by Laura’s lips, hot against hers. 

_ “I’ll make it worth your while.” _ Laura had whispered against Carmilla’s mouth. Carmilla blushed as she remembered exactly how Laura had made it up to her once they had returned home. 

Stretching again, she rolled over, arms searching for the familiar warmth of Laura’s body next to hers. The bed, however, was empty. After a few more minutes, a disgruntled Carmilla pushed herself out of bed, throwing on an oversized band t-shirt before leaving the bedroom in search of Laura. 

“Laura?” She called down the hallway. 

“Living room!” Laura called back, mouth clearly full. 

Following the sound, Carmilla came across an old but familiar scene. Laura sat crossed-legged on the couch, laptop on her lap. She was one-handedly typing while eating oreo after oreo from an open box next to her. On the couch beside her lay a mess of old books and papers, which Carmilla quickly identified as Karnstein family histories. The coffee table in front of her was littered with snack packs, as well as Laura’s now-empty Tardis mug, still coated with coffee residue. 

Carmilla stood there, trying to process. This is the exact scene she had seen countless times in their Silas dorm room, her mother’s apartment, and the library. It had been years since Laura had been in this state. The strange contrast of their cozy living room and Laura in full research mode took Carmilla a minute to absorb. Finally, she drew closer. 

“Hey, Laura, how long have you been up? What is all this?” She asked, moving to lean against the arm of the couch.

“Oh, I’ve been up since like seven. I couldn’t sleep much.” Laura said, definitely sounding a little strung out. 

“Okay, but why do you have all my old histories?” Carmilla absently robbed Laura’s shoulder as she spoke.

“Oh, right.” Laura sounded a little embarrassed now. Looking up at Carmilla as she answered. “Well, I was thinking about what LaF said, you know, about the time shift stuff. The year 1680 sounded really familiar and I was trying to remember why, and then I was like duh! That’s the year you were born.” Carmilla cocked her head. 

“I didn’t think you’d remember that.” She said softly. 

At that, Laura set her laptop on the papers next to her and brought herself onto her knees on the couch, face to face with Carmilla. “Of course I remembered, silly.” She kissed Carmilla softly, hand gently stroking her jawline. She pulled back all too soon for Carmilla’s liking. “Anyway, I thought that was weird, so I went online to see if anything else important happened that year, but I couldn’t find anything. So then I thought maybe your histories might have some stuff wikipedia missed, so I started looking through them. I had to translate them of course and I’m not sure I did it all right, but there’s definitely something here. Look at this.” At this, Laura turned around and picked up one of the books, opening it to a bookmarked page. 

“What’s this?” Carmilla asked, taking the book. 

“It’s your mother’s journal. This entry is from three months before you were born.” Carmilla grimaced a little as Laura, stirring up memories of her mortal family was not something she was fond of. Laura was too invested in the passage to notice. “Look here. She’s writing about a walk she went on, and everything is normal and then, look at that!” She pointed triumphantly at a short paragraph, written in elegant script. Carmilla began reading aloud, translating from german as she went. 

“While traversing the countryside this afternoon, I noticed something strange in the brush, something unnaturally red. When I drew closer, it appeared to be some odd bit of fabric, woven into a bowl with an elongated lip. It was only after I picked it up that I saw the embroidery. A white thread made some strange shapes on it, possibly some foreign language? I’ve copied it as best I can.” Carmilla squinted at the markings on the page, but the words were clear as day. In perfect English the words were spelled out. “Make America Great Again.” Carmilla slouched against the couch arm as she finished, weakly handing the book back to Laura. “What the frilly hell…” She muttered, trailing off.

“I know, it’s insane. Anyway, I haven’t been able to find anything else yet, but I’m thinking we should call up LaF and the rest of the gang. I may not be a huge history buff, but I know this isn’t right.” 

Carmilla tried to listen to Laura, but she could already begin to feel her brain clouding with emotions. Memories of her mother flashed behind her eyes, feeling faraway, dreamlike. 

“Um, yeah sure. That’s probably good.” Carmilla said, turning to walk away.” 

“Hey Carm, you okay?” Laura called out. 

“Yeah, I’m just going to take a shower.” Carmilla slipped into the bedroom as she spoke, closing the door behind her. She made her way into the bathroom and started the shower running before sinking to the floor. While Carmilla refused to cry at such useless emotions, she did have times when all she could do was shut down. Only a minute later, Carmilla heard a soft knock at the door. 

“Carm?” Laura asked. 

Carmilla swallowed before answering. “Yeah, Laura? Did you leave something in here?” 

“Carm.” Laura said again, soft but persistent. “Can I please come in?”

Carmilla’s breath caught. She didn’t answer. A minute went by. 

“Please?” Laura’s voice sounded strained. 

“Okay.” Carmilla said. She could never say no to Laura. 

The doorknob turned and Laura slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She walked over to the bathtub and turned off shower before taking a tentative seat next to Carmilla on the floor. She slowly reached out and took Carmilla’s hand in hers, leaning her head on her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry.” Laura said, which took Carmilla off guard. 

“Why are you apologizing?” Carmilla asked. 

“Because I shouldn’t have just sprung that stuff from your mom on you like that. I got so caught up in research that I wasn’t thinking about how much it could hurt you. 

“I’m not hurt.” Carmilla said weakly, looking away from Laura. 

“Hey, hey.” Laura spoke softly into Carmilla’s ear. “It’s okay to miss her. It’s okay.” Laura’s voice was so understanding and soothing. Carmilla bit her lip, trying desperately to keep her mourning from leaking out. She could feel her eyes begin to mist over, her body trembled. “Hey, hey.” Laura said again, letting go of Carmilla’s hand so she could wrap her arm around Carmilla’s body, squeezing tightly. “You’re safe, you don’t have to be strong all the time.” With that, Carmilla broke down completely. 

Her whole body shook as she rode the waves of sob after sob, traitorous tears trickling down her cheeks. Laura’s arm guided to softly, turning her so that Laura could envelope her in a tight hug. Involuntarily, Carmilla’s arms wrapped around Laura as she buried her face in Laura’s soft hair. Laura stroked her back softly, whispering sweetly. “It’s okay, you’re okay. I’m here, I love you so much.”

Carmilla had no idea how long they stayed that way, but eventually her tears subsided. She stayed intertwined in Laura for a few more minutes while she recovered. Finally, she pulled back to look at Laura. 

Laura rubbed her thumb against Carmilla’s cheek before pulling the tissue box down from the counter beside them and lightly dabbing at the tears on Carmilla’s face. She paused when Carmilla looked down, clearly embarrassed.

“Hey.” Laura said, gently turning Carmilla’s head back up with her hand. “You don’t have anything to be ashamed of. You don’t always have to play the stoic vampire. I love you. Okay? I love you so much, and not just the parts you want to show. I love all of you, and I’ll keep loving all of you for as long as I’m alive.” Laura’s breath hitched a little as she finished, but she quickly pushed it down, pulling Carmilla in for a kiss. 

“I love you too Creampuff, you have no idea how much.” Carmilla breathed against Laura’s cheek. 


	4. Distraction

Even though the revelation in Carmilla’s mother’s diary certainly warranted further attention, the two women decided that was tomorrow’s hill to climb. After their emotional exchange in the bathroom, Laura tucked away her research materials and insisted that they have a movie night, which Carmilla didn’t object to. They watched three movies of vastly different genres and themes, as was common with their movie nights. Horror, fantasy, and queer romance all blended together. After the second movie, Laura heated them up some leftover lasagna which they ate during the third movie. 

The time was nearing 10 PM as Carmilla washed their dishes, lost in thought. Now that her emotions had simmered down, she was able to consider their situation more clearly. The mention of that damned hat proved not only that LaFontaine was right about molecules from the past being transported here, but also that things from their time were being transported back. Carmilla had experienced many things in her long life, but this phenomenon still unnerved her for two reasons. Firstly, the fact that the year in question was also her birth year seemed like an unlikely coincidence, even more so now that they knew that her birth family was affected. Secondly, as much as she tried, Carmilla could not conceive of a reason for all this. It seemed she’d faced just about every demon from her past, what else could there possibly be? 

Carmilla was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Laura approach behind her. “Hey, Carm.” Laura said sweetly. With her vampiric hearing, Carmilla heard something light hit the ground but before she could turn her head she felt Laura’s arms wrap around her in an embrace. 

“Hey, Cupcake.” Carmilla smiled as she spoke, hands still busy in the sink. 

“You always smell so good.” Laura whispered into her neck as she began kissing her there. She started lightly but quickly began sucking and biting in such a way as was sure to leave annoyingly short-lived marks, courtesy of Carmilla’s vampiric constitution.

Carmilla moaned softly as Laura bit down particularly hard, simultaneously sliding her hands up underneath Carmilla’s shirt. She pushed the shirt up until it sat just below the vampire’s arms, and pressed herself against the newly exposed skin. Carmilla realized what had hit the floor as she felt Laura’s bare, already-hard nipples press against her braless back. 

“And you’re always so soft.” Laura whispered again, twisting one of Carmilla’s nipples as she spoke, causing the girl to cry out in surprise and pleasure. 

“My, my.” Carmilla said in a low voice. “You’re certainly in a mood, aren’t you?” 

Laura giggled at that, leaning into Carmilla’s ear. “Well, you just looked so lonely doing dishes all by yourself, so I thought I’d come to keep you company.” As she spoke, she trailed her hands down Carmilla’s torso, stopping at her hips to undo the clasp of her dark jeans. She slid her hand in just enough to lightly stroke over Carmilla’s underwear. “But of course, if I’m bothering you or anything, I could always-” Laura began to teasingly pull her hands away. 

Before Laura could get very far, though, Carmilla’s hands shot out of the dishwater, grabbing desperately at Laura’s. “Please. Don’t stop.” Carmilla said, already breathy with anticipation. At that, Laura rolled her hips into Carmilla’s, pushing her roughly against the rim of the sink while biting down on her neck. Carmilla cried out, gripping the sink to stabilize herself. 

“Well, since you said please…” Laura giggled into her ear. She then pulled her and Carmilla’s hips back from the sink enough to slide her hand under the band of the vampire’s underwear. Slowly, Laura dragged her finger through Carmilla’s already-drenched folds, provoking a gravelly moan. 

“Damn, Carm. Is there dishwater in your pants or are you just happy to see me?” At this, they both burst out into a genuine laugh, though Carmilla’s quickly devolved to a series of moans as Laura located her clit and began circling it in rapid, rhythmic motions.

Laura’s other hand made its way back up the vampire’s body and started tugging and twisting at one of her nipples. Carmilla felt her knees go weak as more pressure was applied between her legs, causing her hips to move of their own volition. 

She used to consider herself a challenge in the bedroom. Most of Carmilla’s partners over the centuries struggled to please her, which usually led to a lot of awkwardness and one-sided sex. She had eventually taken on an exclusively pleasing role in sex, her pleasure often not even coming up. So, when she began dating Laura, she was fully prepared to be the primary giver. She understood that the girl was not only inexperienced but also a human, which led to some limits in the constitution department. The first night they were together, Carmilla was pleasantly surprised to find that Laura had no intention of allowing her to do the heavy lifting, and even more surprised the girl brought her over the edge twice, seemingly with ease. Carmilla didn’t know what it was about this small, bubbly human, but in all their years together, Laura had never had any issue getting the vampire’s body to do what she wanted. 

Carmilla was roughly reminded of this as Laura snapped her out of her reverie by slipping two fingers inside of her without warning, curling them in a way that made her buck violently against the touch. 

“Fuck, Laura.” Carmilla cried out, her knuckles turning white against the rim of the sink, fingers dipping into the soapy water within. She could feel the muscles in her stomach tightening as Laura brought her to the edge, her knees now trembling. 

“Come on Carm,” Laura whispered into her ear, voice heavy with sex. “Come for me.” As she finished, she pushed the pad of her thumb against Carmilla’s clit while curling her fingers again. 

Carmilla tried to curse as she tumbled over the edge, but all that came out was a stuttered “Ff, fu.”Which was quickly interrupted by a scream. Her body gyrated uncontrollably, and Laura had to hold her firmly with her other arm to keep the girl from keeling over while she rode out her orgasm. Laura brought Carmilla down from her high with gradually slowing thrusts of her fingers, before gently removing her hand from between her legs. 

Once she was confident that she wouldn’t lose her balance, Carmilla turned around to face Laura. She felt another rush of arousal at the sight before her. Laura was naked from the hips up, her long hair falling messily around her head and shoulders A red flush was already spread across the girl’s face and chest, her breath fast. Her honey brown eyes held Carmilla’s with a delicious mixture of love and lust. 

“You’re quite the sight,” Carmilla started, leaning in to kiss the girl. Before she could, though, Laura brought her still glistening hand up to her mouth and began sucking them clean, never breaking eye contact. Her lips curled up into a mischievous smile as she saw Carmilla’s eyes darken as they flicked from her mouth to her chest, primal hunger written across her features. 

The second Laura’s fingers left her mouth, Carmilla was kissing her vigorously. Before the girl even had a chance to react, Carmilla hoisted her into her arms with ease. Laura’s legs had just begun to wrap around the vampire’s hips when she was being dropped on the couch, which Carmilla had gotten to in what felt like no time at all. Laura hit the cushions below with a startled gasp, looking up at Carmilla with eyes that could melt glaciers. 

Carmilla sunk to her knees before the now seated girl, pushing herself between Laura’s legs to kiss her. As their kiss went on, Laura finished the job she’d started earlier and pulled Carmilla’s shirt the rest of the way off, tossing it across the room. 

After another moment, Carmilla pulled her lips away from Laura’s. “You, my dear, are wearing entirely too many clothes.” Without hesitation, Laura’s hands dropped to her jeans and started fiddling with the button, but Carmilla pulled her hands away forcefully, pinning them down on the couch. “You’re also impatient.” 

Without breaking eye contact, Carmilla brought her hands to Laura’s pants, undoing the clasp and peeling the denim down her impossibly smooth legs, discarding the offending fabric with a haphazard toss. Starting at the knee, Carmilla began trailing kisses up those perfect thighs, dancing around the girl’s damp underwear before making her way back up to her chest. Her mouth latched around a hardened nipple while her hand began twisting the other. She delighted in the sensation of Laura’s fingers wrapping themselves into her hair. 

Carmilla could feel Laura’s hips grinding beneath her in a futile search for friction, but she kept her body hovering just above the human’s in such a way that the girl could never quite make contact. Laura’s moans turned desperate.

“Goddamn it, Carmilla.” She whimpered, bucking her hips sharply as the vampire’s teeth pinched around her nipple and tugged. 

Deciding she’d tormented her enough, Carmilla finally began a slow descent over Laura’s body, stopping between her legs. She hooked her pale fingers under the band of the girl’s cotton underwear and pulled them off, pausing for a moment to marvel at Laura’s obvious arousal before pressing her lips into the warm, wet folds of her lover. 

Laura let out a series of high pitched cries as Carmilla’s tongue slid in and out of her, occasionally pressing against her clit between thrusts. The hand in Carmilla’s hair began twisting and untwisting in pace with forceful hip thrusts. Carmilla reached out and took Laura’s other hand, which was scratching against the upholstery of the couch. She intertwined their fingers and squeezed tight as she pushed the girl into ecstasy. Laura’s back arched off the couch as she came against Carmilla’s face, her trying and failing to form words. 

Before Laura’s cries had fully died out, Carmilla removed herself from between the girl’s legs and climbed up onto the couch, straddling her lap. She pressed her lips against Laura’s, hard. She felt the girl weakly trying to reciprocate the kiss between gasps, but before she could catch her breath Carmilla slid two fingers inside her without warning. Laura yelped with surprise, breaking the kiss to throw her head back, making a rigid arch with her back. 

“Fuck!” She cried out as Carmilla’s hand launched an intense internal assault, the rough motions combined with her preexisting tenderness driving her over the edge again in less than a minute. The girl’s whole body shook, every muscle tensing and untensing with the waves of her orgasm. Carmilla watched as Laura slowly regained her bearings, rubbing slow, soothing patterns against her sex as she panted helplessly. 

Eventually, she removed her hand and slid off of Laura’s lap, sucking her fingers clean, reveling in Laura’s heady taste. She felt the human’s body curl against hers, Laura’s head nuzzling into her shoulder. She ran a hand through the girl’s soft hair, placing soft kisses on her forehead. 

“You’re my whole world.” Carmilla said, almost inaudibly against Laura’s skin. Laura nestled into the vampire’s hair, her arm wrapping around her body in a gentle embrace. They stayed like that for a long while, tracing fingers across each other’s skin, Carmilla listening to Laura’s heartbeat. She waited as it slowed more and more, until she was sure the girl had slipped unconscious. Carefully, she disentangled herself from Laura, lying her head on a cushion and wrapping her in a throw blanket before tiptoeing off to the kitchen. Before she made it to the sink, she heard Laura stir behind her. 

“Where are you going?” Laura mumbled, blinking repeatedly as she tried to focus her eyes. 

“To finish the dishes you so inconsiderately pulled me away from.” Carmilla responded, her voice dripping with jovial sarcasm. 


	5. Anticipation

The next day, on what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday filled with cups of tea and progress on the women’s respective stacks of unread books, they instead invited over friends for a day of intense research. As it turned out, Danny was on a flight to Florida to consult on some big civil rights case, and Mel and Kirsh were both working a special shift at the news station providing live coverage of a local potato festival. So, only Perry and LaFontaine made it, though LaFontaine’s enthusiasm made up for the small turn out. It had taken them less than an hour after Laura’s call to appear at their door, a box of lab equipment, and an uneasy-looking Perry in tow.

The box turned out to contain a portable version of their patented chemical chronometer, which was now set up on the dining room table, whirring as it processed hair, blood, and saliva samples from both Laura and Carmilla, as well as several scrapings from the Karnstein family’s tomes and relics.

While LaFontaine manipulated the machine in the other room, the three girls busied themselves with book work. Perry poured over history websites pertaining to 1680s Styria while Carmilla, as the only native german speaker, was tasked with reviewing her family’s old writings. She flicked through page after page of journal entries and correspondence, summarizing the relevant details to Laura, who was snuggled against her on the couch taking notes. 

Laura had checked in with Carmilla multiple times that morning about doing the translating, and each time Carmilla assured her that she’d be completely fine. Still, Carmilla did not fail to notice Laura’s hand constantly stroking across her arm, or the tight hand squeezes she provided whenever the writing became particularly nostalgic. It still astonished Carmilla sometimes, just how gentle Laura was with her. For so many centuries, she had existed in a world of harsh extremes. Rage, lust, anguish, euphoria; emotions blurring together until it didn’t really matter what the feeling was, only that it was so blindingly powerful that it could drown out everything else. Then came this doe-eyed 19-year-old, with a heart the size of the moon, and it was like the rain suddenly stopping in the middle of a downpour. A teenager with more conviction than experience had held her close, and the thrashing inside her stilled.

“Carm?” Laura asked, snapping Carmilla back to the present. “You okay?”

“Oh. Yes of course.” Carmilla said, refocusing her eyes on the particularly dull ramblings of some twice removed cousin. 

“Really? Because you kind of stopped mid-sentence there.” Laura squeezed Carmilla’s hand and lowered her voice. “Are you sure you’re okay doing this?” 

Carmilla felt a fantom flutter in her chest at the worry in Laura’s voice, and she squeezed her hand back. “Yes, love. Recantations of schoolgirl drama aren't exactly sending me over the edge.” 

The girls settled back into each other and were about to continue the sordid tale of the torn party dress when LaFontaine interrupted. 

“Guys, I’ve got the results.” They said, finishing a note in their lab notebook as they walked into view, standing in the archway to the living room.. “So Laura, Carmilla, you two are both fine, no shifted matter or anything. Most of the artifact samples came back clear too. This one though-” they held up a square of glass somewhat akin to a microscope slide. It encased what appeared to be a thin layer of dust with bright reds dots flecked throughout.”-came back positive.” 

“Which one is that?’ Laura asked. 

“It’s a scraping from Carmilla’s birth mother’s journal. It tested as having matter transported from 2017.” LaFontaine said, their voice a combination of worry and excitement. 

“But, this is 2017. How is matter transported from this year?” Laura asked. 

“Yeah we’re in 2017 now, but the journal wasn’t in 2017 when the matter was transported. I think that matter from 2017 contaminated the journal in 1680.” LaFontaine said. 

“Oh dear. Well, I suppose it makes sense, what with what Carmilla’s mother described finding in it.” Perry said. 

“Great, so how do we stop this? Is there some mystical time-travelly door left open somewhere?” Laura asked. 

LaFontaine’s brow furrowed. “Honestly, I have no idea.” 

For a few more hours, the group continued in their search for answers, but as the midday sun began turning to an afternoon glow it became clear they weren’t getting anywhere. LaFontaine assured everyone that they’d continue researching at their lab, and suggested takeout. One round of cheap Chinese later LaFontaine and Perry packed up their equipment and bid the girls farewell. 

That night, Carmilla lay awake, listening to the gentle sounds of a sleeping Laura. The girl was nuzzled into her, face against her cheat, arm spread over her torso. Carmilla marveled at the soft breaths and steady heartbeat which she could both hear and feel. Her centuries spent reading musings and interpretations of love made by great philosophers had done nothing to prepare her for the feelings that now overwhelmed her every waking moment. 

__________

The next morning, Carmilla bid Laura farewell after breakfast, claiming to have some errands to run. Instead of walking down the busy street to their local supermarket though, Carmilla turned off onto a small side street populated with tiny shops. The one she approached was a locally owned jewelry store with a tasteful sign reading “All That Glitters” in cursive text above the door. A bell chimed as she opened the door, starling her. She hadn’t realized she was on edge. 

Inside, almost a dozen display cases lined the walls and formed an island in the center of the room. An older man waved hello to her from behind the counter and she half-heartedly waved back as she approached the nearest display. It was filled with lovely necklaces, some with matching earrings. Though there was a sterling silver set she knew Laura would look ravishing in, she forced herself to move on. This wasn’t what she was here for. 

Two cases later she found what she was looking for, and was immediately overwhelmed. Dozens of rings lay before her, glittering welcomingly in the display case light. She’d spent time online researching different cuts and bands, and obsessively stalking Laura’s Pinterest for hints, but she’d never quite settled on anything. She spent several minutes studying each ring and regretting not bringing someone along for a second opinion before being startled again, this time by a tap on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw it was the shopkeeper. 

“I don’t mean to bother you ma’am, but you seem a little overwhelmed. Is there anything I can help you find?” He asked. His eyes were warm as he studied hers, and then the contents of the display she was investigating.

_ What the hell _ . She thought. “Yes, I suppose you may be able to help. I’m in the market for an engagement ring, your shop had great reviews online.” 

“Yes of course.” He smiled as he spoke. “You’d be surprised how many women like you I’ve started seeing lately. I suppose it’s not so taboo for the woman to propose nowadays. You’ll probably want the wedding bands, they’re over here.” He started towards the next display over, but Carmilla didn’t follow. 

“Um, no.” She said. 

“I beg your pardon?” He asked, genuine confusion written on his age weathered face. 

“I’m shopping for my girlfriend.” She said, a challenge in her eyes. 

Realization washed over his face. “Oh, yes of course, my mistake. Well why don’t you tell me about her.” This took Carmilla pleasantly by surprise. There had been no small number of times that’s Laura’d had to convince not to eviscerate some bystander or another who’d had the nerve to imply that their love was anything other than natural. She decided to indulge the man's query. 

“Alright, well her name is Laura,” Carmilla noticed something pass over his features, almost imperceivable but for her vampiric senses. “And she’s incredible. She’s sweet and bubbly, and kind to a fault. We met in college. Our first year was,” She paused. “Rather chaotic. We were roommates and we didn’t get along at first. She was prissy and naive, and entirely too tightly wound. I was… In a bad place and I resented her.” A small smile spread across her face as she continued. “Obviously that changed. Within a few months this girl, too full of hope and optimism, did something I never expected. She believed in me. She believed I mattered. Even at the height of our fighting, she told me I deserved better.” Carmilla’s eyes grew glassy and she took a minute to swallow and blink. 

“Well, she sounds just lovely. Why don’t I have a look here.” The man said and walked to a display case near the register which also had engagement rings. Carmilla hadn’t even noticed those. Opening the display from behind, he withdrew three rings and set them on the counter to inspect. 

“Now I don’t know what your budget is, so I’ve got a range.” He then began indicating prices before she cut him off. 

”Money isn’t an object.” She said, leaning over the line of rings. 

The first was a princess cut on a rose gold band. Nothing on Laura’s Pinterest was rose gold. The second was a circular cut with smaller diamonds lining the gold band. Too flashy. The third was a circular-cut as well. The diamond was tasteful, not too large, but definitely held its own. The band was a warm gold that glinted in the light. Carmilla felt warmth in her chest. 

“May I?” She asked, tentatively reaching for it. 

“Of course.” He replied encouragingly. 

Carmilla lifted the ring into her hand. It had a good weight to it. Carefully, she turned the ring around, studying each angle. She pictured it on Laura’s hand. Without warning, she was flooded with emotion and she couldn’t hold back the tear that trailed down her cheek. 

“This one. I want this one.” She said, choking back a sob, forcing composure. 

“Wonderful,” The man said, smiling broadly. “Just so you know, with a purchase of this size, we include an engravement on the band, complementary. If you’re interested of course.” 

“I think I’d like that,” Carmilla said, smiling to herself. 

After a few minutes of discussions and sizing, Carmilla had everything arranged. The engravement would take a day to complete, so she’d need to pick it up tomorrow. As the door to the shop swung shut behind her, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She felt like a giddy schoolgirl as she turned onto her street, before quickly turning back. She realized she should probably make a supermarket run anyway; returning empty-handed may seem suspicious, after all. 


	6. Pride

After the strange journal discovery, a month passed relatively without incident. LaFontaine continued to test and analyze everything they could get their hands on, and were still getting a steady stream of positive tests, but there was seemingly no rhyme or reason. Furthermore, no new information turned up in Carmilla’s family texts, so there wasn’t much to do with the data. This left everyone nervously waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Laura had found some work freelancing for a few different online news sites, so she spent her days writing while Carmilla researched the universities she was accepted to. As it turned out, all five programs she’d applied to had admitted her, which gave her a lot of options to weigh. She immediately eliminated the two safety schools she’d included as a last resort, and then another, given that it was an hour-long commute. This left her with two choices: Cornerstone College and Callahan University. Cornerstone was a small school with an emphasis in humanities; Callahan was a much larger institution with far more resources, but a less authentic feel. Carmilla was leaning toward Cornerstone, though she’d been struggling to focus enough to put proper thought to it lately. Something far greater weighed on her, growing heavier as May turned to June and she, Laura, and their friends began making plans for Pride 

Normally Carmilla enjoyed going to Pride events. She definitely had her qualms with the crowds, and the sun, and the glitter, but it was worth it for how happy it made Laura. Laura always had a childlike giddiness about her as she would drag Carmilla from booth to booth buying rainbow apparel, sampling food from just about every vendor, and then eventually getting way too drunk and insisting on dancing far into the night. This Pride was going to be different though. 

Deep in a dresser drawer, buried underneath a pile of band t-shirts was a small black jewelry box. This year at Pride, Carmilla planned to get down on one knee and present the contents of that box to the love of her life. She was a three-centuries old shapeshifting vampire who’d faced off against literal gods, and proposing to Laura was by far the most terrifying thing she’d ever done. In the logical part of her mind, she felt sure in her assertion that Laura would say yes. They had talked about the future, and marriage was definitely on their timeline, and Laura had been making a lot of offhand comments about  _ ‘When we’re married’ _ lately. However, these things didn’t stop dark, heavy doubts from seeping in. While less frequently now, Carmilla still occasionally found herself freezing up and staring into the distance, or waking in a panic in the night, or breaking into tears in the shower, overcome with the fear that Laura will realize she deserves better. 

Carmilla woke with a start from one of these nightmares early the morning of Pride. The sun was still rising, just barely high enough to cast pale shadows into their bedroom. Closing her eyes, Carmilla ran a hand through her hair, allowing the panic to dribble out of her before rolling over to kiss Laura good morning. Instead of her warm girlfriend, though, she was met with an empty bed. At that moment she heard the coffeemaker start in the kitchen. Grumbling to herself, she slid off the bed and left the room in pursuit of her lover. 

She found Laura standing at the open fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs. 

“Hey, Cupcake,” Carmilla said as she entered. Laura jumped at the sound of her voice, spinning around and dropping the carton in the process. A cacophony of cracks rang out as Laura’s eyes met Carmilla. 

“Jeez, oh my god.” She said, registering Carmilla's presence a second before realizing that their breakfast was now leaking on the tile. “Oh shoot, I just bought those eggs. You can’t just sneak up on people like that, Carm.” Laura bent down and began collecting wayward shells as she finished her sentence. 

“I was only walking, love,” Carmilla said as she made her way to the mess, grabbing paper towels from the counter. “What’s gotten into you?” She asked. Laura was definitely on edge. 

“Nothing! Why would anything have gotten into me? I’m having a perfectly normal morning. Just, you know, clumsy before my coffee, that’s all.” Laura said in full anxious rambling glory. 

“Is that so?” Carmilla said, side-eyeing Laura as she soaked the last of the yoke into a paper towel. 

“Absolutely,” Laura said as she stood, crossing the room to throw the carton in the trash. “I’m just excited for today.” The coffee maker dinged. “Coffee?” Laura asked in a tone a few octaves higher than normal, pulling her Tardis mug from the cupboard. 

“Sure,” Carmilla said, still unconvinced. 

Two hours later, Carmilla stood in front of their bathroom mirror applying the final touches to her makeup. She wore a slightly ripped pair of black jeans with a grey tee-shirt tucked in. White letters sprawled across the front of the shirt reading:  _ My smart, funny, beautiful girlfriend bought me this shirt _ . Laura, of course, bought her that shirt. 

After dabbing her lipstick, she left the bathroom, entering an empty bedroom. Realizing her opportunity, she hastily pulled on her leather jacket and opened the dresser. Sliding her hand under the shirts, she pulled out the black velvety box and slipped it into her jacket pocket before making her way to the kitchen. Laura sat at one of the stools at their island, typing on her phone. She wore a rainbow-patterned button-up tucked into washed-out blue jeans. Her hair was in a low bun, a few wayward locks framing her face. 

“Laf and Perry are on their way to pick us up. Kirsh and Mel are already there, and Danny’s meeting us later.” Laura said, rising and approaching Carmilla. “Wow, you look beautiful.” She said as she reached her, pulling Carmilla into a deep kiss. Carmilla could feel the tension she’d been holding melt away into her lover’s lips. Laura’s hands were cupping either side of her face, body pressing against her, pushing them both back until Carmilla’s back hit the wall. Carmilla rested her hands on Laura’s hips, deepening the kiss by slipping her tongue past her own lips and into her lover’s mouth. Laura sighed, her fingers leaving Carmilla’s cheeks to tangle in her hair. Carmilla was mentally mapping the fastest possible way to rid both of them of their clothes when Laura’s phone began buzzing on the island. 

Reluctantly, Laura disentangled herself to go pick up the phone. 

“Hey Perr, yeah we’re heading down right now, see you in a sec!” Laura said, flashing apologetic eyes at Carmilla as she hung up. “They’re here.” 

“So I gathered,” Carmilla said, running a hand through her mussed hair. “I suppose we’ll have to finish this later.” 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Laura said, leaning in for one more kiss before tugging a reluctant Carmilla out the door.

After a thirty-minute drive, they arrived at their city’s Pride festival. It was nearing 10 AM and the sun was high in a clear blue sky. The festival was set up throughout a large park in the outskirts of the city. A walking trail snaked throughout the terrain, an array of pop-up booths on either side. An open grass field sporting a small stage and speaker system lay within the closed circuit of the trail. 

Just as they reached the first of the booths, Laura spotted Kirsch and Mel standing in line at a hot dog stand, and ran ahead to greet them. LaFontaine trailed after her, but Carmilla grabbed Perry’s arm to keep her from following. 

“Did you remember to bring it?” Carmilla asked. Though the others were most certainly out of earshot, she spoke barely above a whisper. 

Perry unclasped her bag, pushing aside water bottles and granola bars to reveal a small video camera. “Yes of course.”

“And you remember when to get it out?” Nerves were evident in Carmilla’s voice. Perry reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Yes. Carmilla, everything’s going to be fine. I’m sure that,” She paused, a knowing look crossing her features. “Whatever it is you’re planning, Laura’s going to love it.” Carmilla hadn’t explicitly told Perry what she was planning, only that she had a surprise for Laura, and wanted to catch her reaction on camera. Nevertheless, Perry seemed to know exactly what she was going to do. 

“Alright, well, thank you,” Carmilla said. “I mean that.” 

“Of course.” perry said before hurrying ahead to catch up with the group. 

__________

Danny met up with them around lunchtime, and after several hours of shopping and snacking the group decided to spread out the large green sheet Perry had packed and settle in for some lounging. Carmilla sat upright, Laura’s back pressed against her chest. Her arms were wrapped around the girl’s torso, lips occasionally grazing against her cheek or neck. Laura was telling some story or other from her time at the station, her voice reverberating as a soft hum against Carmilla. Carmilla hadn’t heard anything she’d said for the past several minutes but was instead lost in her own mind, and the sensations of her lover. 

She knew she needed to make her move soon. They were going to start drinking soon, and this was something she needed Laura to be sober for. The vibrations of Laura's voice grew fast and choppy, and when Carmilla refocused she found that Laura was giggling. 

“Carm?” She said. 

“Um, what?” Carmilla responded, desperately trying to remember what Laura was laughing at. Laura twisted her body around so she was face-to-face with the vampire. 

“I was telling everyone about that time when I brought you to that office holiday party, and that editor guy that always hit on me got drunk and tried to kiss me? And how pale he got when you started detailing all the incredibly violent things you’d do to him if he ever tried that again?’”

“Oh, right, yes of course,” Carmilla said, sounding less than convincing.

Laura’s expression dropped, her eyes filling with worry. “You okay?” 

“Of course, love. Why wouldn’t I be?” Carmilla fiddled with one of Laura’s belt loops as she spoke, avoiding eye contact. 

“Carm, what’s going on?” Carmilla could hear Laura’s heart speed up slightly. Laura wasn’t going to drop this, it was now or never. 

“Okay, alright.” Carmilla started, wiggling out from under Laura before pulling herself to her feet. “There is something. I’ve been trying to find a way to go about it all day.” Carmilla extended a hand to Laura, pulling her up as well. She shot a pointed look at Perry who immediately reached for her bag. 

“What is it, Carm? What’s wrong?” Laura asked as Carmilla pulled her onto the grass. A few feet away on the sheet, their friends now sat silent, hushed by Perry who now held the camera to her eye. 

“Nothing’s wrong Cupcake. Just the opposite I hope.” Carmilla fiddled with the zipper to her pocket, getting it open just as her knee hit the ground. Laura had glanced back at the group, picking up on the strange energy. 

“Perr, why are you-” She froze when she saw Carmilla. Realization washed over her features and her heart sped up even more. Carmilla took her hand, looking up into honey brown eyes that were suddenly very glossy. 

“Laura,” she started, taking a breath. “I have never, in my three centuries of life, loved anyone the way I love you.”

“Oh, Carm-” Laura started, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. 

“But that’s not all. Laura, I’ve never had anyone  _ love me _ the way you do. I’ve always been a tool, or a gambling piece, or a novelty. Some curiosity to be used and then discarded. I got to the point that I thought the idea of me that others held was all I was. Just an edgy vampiric lackey. And then you told me I deserved better.” Carmilla felt a tear roll down her own face. “You touched me. You held me and I thought, for just a second, that I was more than what Mother told me I was. You made me feel like a person.” Carmilla paused for a moment, trying to find words. “Laura, no poet or philosopher, any one of those romcoms you insist we watch has prepared me for how I feel when I look at you. No words could articulate the ache I feel when I’m not touching you, or the fire that your lips can ignite in me. Love isn’t a strong enough word. Need doesn’t even begin to cover it. Laura, you hold a piece of my soul I thought I’d lost. There may be many uncertainties in this world, but if there is one thing that I know is unchanging it is that I never want to be without you.” Unsaid words passed between them, sharp fears stabbing them from the inside. Carmilla unclasped Laura’s hand and slid it into her pocket, shakily pulling out the box. She heard Laura gasp in anticipation. “And that is why I’m asking you, Laura Eileen Hollis, will you marry me?” She opened the box to reveal the ring. 

Laura’s eyes flicked from the ring to Carmilla, her expression unreadable. Suddenly she turned without a word and darted for her bag, which LaFontaine wordlessesly passed to her. Carmilla could feel her heart sink, her fear turning from a babbling brook to a tumultuous ocean. She saw Laura pull something small from her bag before quickly dashing back to where Carmilla still kneeled. Laura knelt down herself, meeting Carmilla’s tear-stained eyes with her own. Nervously, she held up what Carmilla now saw was a small box. Laura popped it open. Inside lay a ring. The band was a dark reflective grey. Near the jewel, the band was carved in an intricate design meant to look like the leaves and petals on the outside of a rose. The jewel itself was a deep red, adding to the illusion.

Carmilla was dumbfounded for a moment, simply staring at the ring. The red jewel twinkled in the sunlight. It was most certainly the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. Warmth spread throughout her body as a delayed realization hit her. This was why Laura was so nervous this morning. 

“Ca-” Laura started, hiccupping with a sob. “Carmilla Karnstein, you are the axis that my world turns on. Ever since you walked into my dorm room for the first time all those years ago, you’ve been making me feel things so much stronger than I ever thought was possible. To be fair, at first that was because you made it your personal job to push all of my buttons.” The two women shared a soft laugh, Carmilla frantically wiping at the tears trailing down her face. “But before I knew it I was falling hard.” Laura cupped Carmilla’s face with the hand not holding the ring box. “Carm, I’ve been in awe of you as long as I’ve known you. You are so, so brave. And fiercely loyal. And really an adorable softy under all the badassness.” Laura took a shaky breath. “So, um, Carm, will you marry me?” 

Carmilla couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She leaned in until their foreheads were pressed together, eyes closed, lips inches apart. “Nothing in this world would bring me greater joy.” Carmilla had barely finished speaking when Laura pulled her into a wet kiss. She could feel the girl’s smile against her own. 

After a moment, Carmilla pulled back, taking Laura’s left hand and sliding the ring onto her ring finger. It fit perfectly. She paused for a moment, marveling at it before remembering the other ring. Hastily, Laura pulled the ring from her box and took Carmilla’s hand, sliding it on. Again, a perfect fit. 

“God, I love you.” Carmilla said, pulling Laura into another kiss, muffling what sounded like an ‘I love you too.’ 

After another moment holding each other, they turned back to their friends. Perry was still filming, a broad smile spread across her features, a single tear streaked down her cheek. Danny and LaFontaine flashed genuine smiles as well. Kirsch, on the other hand, was fully crying, clinging to an indignant Mel. 

“That’s enough, beef-for-brains,” Mel said, shaking herself free. 

“It’s just, so, beautiful,” Kirsch said between sobs. Laura and Carmilla shared a giggle as they helped each other to their feet. 

“So, who’s up for drinks?” Laura asked. 


	7. Fated

It was nearing midnight when the two women drunkenly stumbled up the stairs of their apartment complex. After the double proposal, everyone agreed that celebration was in order, which resulted in drinking an excessive amount of fruity festival drinks and dancing to the local queer artists performing on the stage until everyone was sweating and dizzy. Well, everyone but Perry, the dutiful designated driver, who spent a good portion of the evening handing out water bottles and wrangling her friends. 

Laura was drunk after her second alcoholic slushy, and Carmilla followed soon after. Her vampiric constitution usually prevented her from developing much more than a buzz, but somewhere between cups of heavily spiked lemonade and Laura’s sloppy kisses she had fallen into an intoxicated daze.

As they approached their door, Laura began digging in her purse for the keys. Carmilla, seeing her distraction as an opportunity, rushed her, pinning Laura hard into their door. Laura squeaked with surprise, but was quickly stifled by Carmilla’s insistent lips on hers. The hand that was not currently searching her handbag became lost in Carmilla’s hair, tightening as the vampire bit and sucked at her lower lip. Carmilla heard the clink of keys as Laura’s hand closed around the chain, and she pulled back, allowing her lover to sloppily unlock their door. On the third try, Laura got the correct key into the lock, grabbing Carmilla by the hand and pulling her into their dark apartment. 

Laura’s bag and both their jackets were immediately dropped by the door, and Carmilla pushed her lips against Laura’s once again, pushing her until she hit the edge of their island counter. Her hands made quick work of the remaining buttons on Laura’s shirt, the first few having been undone during some particularly lewd dancing earlier in the night. The shirt flew across the room as Carmilla broke the kiss to venture down Laura’s neck. The human’s breath was quick and Carmilla heard it catch as she ran her teeth lightly across Laura’s pulse point. 

“Bedroom. Now.” Laura breathed out. Carmilla was happy to oblige. She hooked her hands under Laura’s thighs, hoisting her off the ground and moving them to their bed with vampiric speed. Laura giggled as she was dropped on the bed, bouncing as her back hit the mattress. Carmilla rid herself of her clothing, stripping down to a lacy red bra and matching underwear. When she looked up, she saw Laura watching her intently, her honey-brown eyes dark, pupils dilated with lust.

Carmilla was on her in an instant, pressing their bodies together as they kissed once again. Her kisses began fast and rough, her need to be impossibly closer to Laura burning insatiably throughout her body. Soon, however, the kiss grew slow and languid. Laura’s thighs were wrapped around Carmilla’s hips, her hands holding either side of Carmilla’s head; thumbs stroking her cheeks, fingers pressed against her scalp. 

Several moments of this overwhelming bliss passed before Laura spoke between kisses. “I love you.” Her voice was almost a whisper, but still clearly thick with emotion. The words hit Carmilla like adrenaline to the heart, spreading jittering heat through her.

“I love you, too.” Carmilla breathed against Laura’s mouth. She felt Laura smile as she removed her hands from the vampire’s cheek. With one arm, Laura propped herself up so she was partially sitting. She held out her other hand, the engagement ring glimmering in the moonlight streaming through the window. 

“We’re engaged.” Laura marveled, looking at the ring. 

“That we are.” Carmilla agreed, pressing her hand against Laura’s. Her ruby ring glinted alongside the diamond one. 

Laura giggled softly as she spoke. “I get to call you my fiancee now.” 

“That you do.” Carmilla said, unable to stop her lips from curling up into a smile. She brought Laura’s hand close to her face, kissing the ring slowly. She kissed it again, then moved her lips up the finger. Her eyes flicked up to make eye contact with Laura as she took the finger in her mouth. Laura inhaled sharply as she began sucking. Carmilla heard a slight increase in Laura’s heart rate.

Without warning, Laura pulled her finger out of Carmilla’s mouth with a pop, replacing it with her tongue before Carmilla could even close her mouth, her kiss insistent. The vampire moaned into the kiss, her hands reaching around Laura’s back to unhook her bra. As soon as it came loose, Carmilla broke the kiss to fully pull it off of her, dropping it hastily before roughly kneading her newly exposed chest. Laura whimpered against Carmilla’s cheek, her hips beginning to grind against Carmilla’s waist. Carmilla could feel heat pooling in her belly. 

Carmilla pushed Laura back down, regaining her position above the human. Laura's hands were immediately at her chest, pulling insistently at her bralet. Carmilla took the hint, quickly pulling the bra over her head and tossing it out of sight. She wriggled free of Laura’s legs next, positioning herself so that one of her thighs lay to the left of Laura, the other pressed against her sex. Laura moaned at the contact, high-pitched and needy. Maintaining the pressure, Carmilla crept down to Laura's chest and locked her lips around a hardened nipple. 

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Laura muttered under her breath, tangling a hand in Carmilla's hair.

Carmilla took the nipple between her teeth, biting down lightly and tugging. Laura cried out, pulling Carmilla’s hair hard. This, combined with the soft flesh against her mouth and the intoxicating scent of Laura’s arousal, was making Carmilla incredibly wet. After a moment more, she let go, switching to the other side. 

Laura was trying to find friction by grinding against Carmilla’s knee. This was causing the thigh that Carmilla was straddling to move; the denim deliciously rough against lace. Carmilla moaned against Laura’s chest, rocking her body. They stayed that way for a moment, grinding and moaning into each other. 

Finally, Laura caved. “Touch me,” she breathed pleadingly. Carmilla smiled.

“Gladly.” The vampire removed her leg and slid a hand down Laura’s bare torso, stopping to unbutton her jeans. She pulled the denim off Laura’s legs, along with the semi-see-through underwear she was wearing. Once she was back on top, Carmilla began lavishing kisses along Laura’s jaw and neck as her hand slid up her thigh and between her legs. Her fingers were immediately coated in Laura’s warm arousal. The woman shuddered beneath her. 

“You’re so wet.” She growled into Laura’s ear, voice laced with sex.

Laura moaned in response, her hips angling upward. Carmilla brushed her fingers over Laura’s clit a few times, eliciting several more high pitched whimpers. Finally, she began drawing firm circles over the sensitive skin, sucking hard on Laura’s neck as she groaned. 

Suddenly, Carmilla felt another hand between the two of them. Laura was tugging her underwear to the side; Carmilla couldn't suppress a low moan as she felt fingers against her sex. A pulse of pleasure shot through her body as fingertips brushed softly against her clit. Spurred on by her own arousal, Carmilla doubled her efforts on Laura, circling her clit roughly a few more times before sliding a finger inside. Laura's hips bucked upwards in response, jostling them both. 

Carmilla fell forward catching herself with her free hand, hovering half a foot above Laura. Laura's eyes flicked up to meet hers, pupils so blown they were almost black. She was beautiful like this. She was always beautiful, of course, but during sex, she had such a raw passion that Carmilla couldn’t help but fall impossibly deeper in love with her. Carmilla closed the distance between them. 

Just as their lips met, Carmilla felt two fingers slip inside of her. She moaned into Laura, her voice low and rough. Laura took the opportunity to slide her tongue into Carmilla’s mouth, causing her breath to catch. Laura was pumping her fingers in and out or Carmilla now, stoking an already-blazing fire. Carmilla reciprocated, adding another finger inside Laura and curling them. Laura’s hips bucked, shoving her own hand deeper into Carmilla. 

Before she lost the ability to, Carmilla pushed herself back up so she was sitting atop Laura again. She rolled her hips against Laura’s hand, while Laura rutted against hers. They fell into a rhyme now: Laura pushing upward against Carmilla, burying her fingers inside the woman, then Carmilla grinding into her, pushing her own hand into Laura. They were both helplessly moaning now. Laura was high pitched while Carmilla had fallen into a low, animalistic groan. 

They were picking up speed, each thrust seeming harder, faster than the last. Carmilla was mouthing Laura’s name; an almost silent chant of  _ Laura, Laura, Laura.  _ Laura was breathless, her voice throaty and desperate. Her free hand was clutching at Carmilla’s hip, fingernails dug into the skin. Pleasure was pulsing between them, heat combining, and multiplying. Carmilla's eyes were closed now, a hand rubbing and cupping her own chest. 

Carmilla felt like she was going to explode as her entire body tightened. Her mouthing rose to yelling, and she was chanting Laura’s name as she crashed over the edge. Her whole body convulsed against Laura’s hand. Somewhere below, she was vaguely aware that Laura was saying her name, arching her back. 

_ “Carm, I’m gonna-”  _ trailed off into a moan. 

Carmilla’s chest pressed against Laura’s as she crumpled into her. Her lips met Laura’s again, softly. Laura's heart was pounding, her breath quick. After a moment, they both worked their hands free of each other, dissolving into a sweaty mess of entangled limbs. Laura nestled into the crook of Carmilla’s neck. 

“I love you so much.” She murmured softly, planting a gentle kiss against Carmilla’s jaw. 

“I love you too,” Carmilla said, nestling further into her lover. “You’re my everything.”

“God Carm, how did I get so lucky?” Laura said. 

Carmilla felt her whole body react to the words. Warmth filling her, overflowing in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. One wayward tear found its way onto Laura’s forehead. She looked up. 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Her eyes were nervous. Carmilla reached out a hand, caressed her cheek. 

“Absolutely nothing is wrong, love. Absolutely nothing.” She felt Laura relax against her hand. “It’s just that I’m the lucky one. Laura, I could live a million lives across a million universes, and my soul would always be meant for you.” 

Now it was Laura’s turn to tear up. She blinked rapidly, but a few tears made it out. Carmilla coaxed her forward, kissed them away. Laura sunk back into her, pulling a blanket around them. They lay in silence for a long time. Just as Carmilla felt herself begin to drift off, she heard Laura whisper. 

“My soul is meant for you too, you know.” 

__________

A bang woke Carmilla. She shot up in bed, blinking furiously against the darkness. Laura was moving beside her. 

“What was that?” She whispered. 

“I don’t know.” Carmilla answered. She slid out of bed, body on high alert. Laura was right behind her. Carmilla grabbed a robe and slid it on, Laura following suit before following her down the hallway that led to their kitchen and living room. Carmilla could feel that something was off. A strange scent laced the air. Another presence had been here, could still be here.

When they reached the archway to the kitchen, Carmilla reached around, flicked the light on before entering the room. The trash can was overturned, the front door hung open. Carmilla sped forward and closed it. She then made a quick sweep of the rest of the apartment, ensuring they were alone before returning to Laura, who had begun picking up what had fallen out of the can. 

“Is everything okay?” She asked, voice shaky. 

“We’re alone.” Carmilla squatted beside Laura and helped her finish cleaning up. 

“Was anything stolen?”

“Not that I could see. And nothing else disturbed.”

“What the hell?” Laura stood as she spoke. “Why would anyone-” She stopped cold. 

“Laura?” Carmilla got up. She followed Laura’s gaze to the island. Two pieces of paper were there. The first was a polaroid picture. It was Laura, fast asleep in their bed as she was a few minutes ago, the moon hitting her face. Her limbs were curled into Carmilla, but a black sharpie blocked out the vampire in the corner of the image. Next to the picture was a message scrawled in sloppy handwriting. It read: 

“Laura, why do you do this to yourself? You still have a chance to get out. I don’t want you to get hurt. I can save you. I can make you happy” 


	8. Dread

4 hours after their unnerving discovery, Laura and Carmilla sat huddled together on the couch as the sun began peeking over the horizon. Once she’d read the note and processed the implication Carmilla had shot into a blind rage. She desperately sped through their apartment complex and the surrounding block, but whoever broke into their apartment was long gone. 

Despite Carmilla’s general distaste for authority, they both agreed filing a police report would be the best option. So, they spent the next hour or so talking to two tired police officers who asked them first if they were sisters, and then if they had boyfriends they could stay with. Needless to say, they didn’t do much to ease the nerves. Perry and LaFontaine were the next calls. Once they arrived, LaFontaine had immediately begun taking forensic samples that they said they could send to the forensic department of Intrigue, the megacorporation that LaFerry Industries was a part of. Perry had somehow managed to acquire fresh scones at 4 o'clock in the morning, and after brewing tea to accompany them, took a written account of the evening. 

It was now nearing 5:30 AM. LaFontaine could be heard rustling with their gadgets in the kitchen while Perry typed anxiously at her laptop, pausing occasionally to share some casual gossip or other, trying to lighten the mood. Carmilla couldn’t do much besides absently nod at her remarks. She instead chose to focus on the warmth and weight of Laura’s body nestled into her. The human’s gentle breaths and study heartbeat soothing her. Laura was here. Laura was safe. 

After returning from her fruitless search of the apartment complex, Carmilla had wrapped Laura in a protective grasp which she had yet to relinquish. She felt so incredibly violated. It was not unlike how she felt when her mother had possessed Laura all those years ago; knowing someone was in control of the life of the woman she loved. While the intruder was not piloting her body, there were other ways they could have taken action. A gun, a knife, even a quick enough bludgeoning could have snuffed out all of Laura’s life. She was so fragile, and Carmilla wouldn’t have been able to stop it. She shivered at the thought, clutching Laura’s arm. Laura took notice. 

“Carm?” Laura’s voice was soft and warm and a reminder of how much Carmilla stood to lose. Still, now was not the time for wallowing. 

“Yes, love. Though I’ll be better once our mystery intruder is messily dead.” Carmilla chuckled humorlessly as she spoke. 

Before Laura could respond, there was a knock on the door. LaFontaine answered, and a moment later Danny strode in. 

“Hey everyone,” Danny began. “I’m so sorry I didn’t make it sooner. I reached out to some people I know at the police department, made sure this was a top priority. We’re gonna catch whatever creep did this. 

“Thank you so much Danny,” Laura said. Normally she would have gotten up and wrapped Danny in a hug, but today she offered a smile instead, opting to remain entangled in Carmilla. “This really means so much to us. It just feels so out of the blue.” 

“Maybe not.” Everyone turned to see a particularly unnerved-looking LaFontaine. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the picture tested positive.” 

“What do you mean? Positive for what?” Laura asked, though her tone led Carmilla to believe Laura had the same sinking feeling as her. 

“For transported particles. From 1680.” A silence fell after LaFontaine spoke. The whole room seemed to stiffen. Perry eventually broke the spell. 

“Well, are we sure that that really means anything? I mean you’ve been getting random particles testing positive for months now, maybe it’s just chance?” 

LaFontaine’s voice dropped an octave as they responded. “Perr, they were to the 87th power.” The faux smile Perry bore immediately dropped away. Laura and Carmilla exchanged a confused look. Danny raised an eyebrow

“Hey, Einstein, in layman's terms please?” Carmilla quipped. 

“Uh, right. So the chemical chronometer detects the rough number of particles within a given sample. Now that number is usually huge if something tests positive, so it expresses the value as 100 raised to an exponent.” Carmilla could feel Laura stiffen against her. It had been years since either of them took a formal math class, but they both knew enough to know this wasn’t good. “So,” LaFontaine continued. “When I say it’s to the 87th power. I mean that the number of transported particles is 100 times 100 times 100, and so on. Roughly 87 times. To put that in perspective, the previous tests I’ve run have mostly been in the area of 15-20.” They looked down as they finished, giving everyone time to absorb. 

“So,” Laura began, her voice shaking almost imperceptibly. “The person who broke into our home, photographed us while sleeping, and left me a creepy stalkerish note, is also directly involved in time travel to the year that Carmilla was born. Great.” She laughed nervously as she finished. 

___________

The rest of the day passed by in the blur. LaFontaine and Perry took off mid-morning with the intention of running more tests. Danny had an important lunch meeting so she left soon after. Mel stopped in the afternoon with pizza, and Kirsch joined soon after. By the time they left, the sun was creeping out of sight below the cityscape.

Laura showed them both out with a hug and an assurance that she and Carmilla would be fine, though the look in her eye said something different. Carmilla watched her close the door, getting up from an island stool and approaching her while her back was turned. When Laura turned around and saw Carmilla, she closed the distance, melting into the vampire’s arms. Carmilla squeezed her tightly, pressing soft kisses to her forehead. After a few moments, Laura hiccuped, and Carmilla realized she was crying. The vampire gingerly pulled back, cupping Laura’s tear-stained in her hands. 

“Laura, we’re going to be okay. You know, in the grand scheme of things we’ve encountered, this is barely a blimp.” Laura laughed half-heartedly. “In no time at all we’ll have tracked down whatever weevil is behind this, and our lives will be back on track.” She kissed Laura’s forehead as she finished, lingering there. 

“I know you’re right Carm. I guess I just thought we were done with all this.”

“I know love, I know.” 

Later that night, after the locks had been double-checked and all the curtains were drawn, the two women laid in bed. Laura had fallen asleep almost instantly, her anxiety no match for her exhaustion. Carmilla fully intended to stay awake through the night, protectively wrapped around her lover. As the second hour ticked by, though, Laura’s warmth and the comfort of their mattress lulled her into a deep sleep. 

__________ 

The next morning, Carmilla woke with a start. She was having a particularly gory dream in which a hooded figure was cutting her still-beating heart from her chest. Strange she thought since her heart didn’t actually beat. Chiding herself for falling asleep, she turned to find she was alone in bed. Fear like a cold pin pricked her chest. Their wall clock read 10:43 AM. Laura was probably just awake and in the other room. But then why couldn’t Carmilla hear her? 

Carmilla leaped out of bed and ran through the apartment, her heart dropping further with each empty room she discovered. The guest bathroom was the last room unchecked, and when she swung the door open to reveal it empty, she found herself sinking to the floor in the hallway. Her vision became blurry. The apartment was empty. Laura was gone. 


	9. Revelations (Part 1)

Laura woke at exactly 3 AM with a throbbing headache and a full bladder. Slowly, she disentangled herself from a soundly sleeping Carmilla before stumbling to the en-suite bathroom. After using the toilet she washed her hands while squinting into the mirror. Her skin looked especially pale in the harsh bathroom light, making the newly forming circles under eyes all the more pronounced. She sighed, drying her hands before running one through her messy hair. When her fingers made contact with her scalp the throbbing in her head flared. She winced. Had she hit her head on something? 

Tentatively, she leaned toward the mirror, gingerly parting her hair to examine her scalp. After a minute of searching, she found an abnormally red patch of skin on the right side of her head. It appeared to be swollen. Laura lightly ran the tips of her fingers over the affected area, and pain shot through her. 

“What the-” She began muttering, 

“I wouldn’t touch that anymore if I were you.” A disembodied male voice rang in Laura’s ears. She immediately spun around, pulling back the shower curtain to reveal an empty shower. She was just about to call for Carmilla when the voice interjected again. “And I wouldn’t call the bloodsucker. Unless, of course, you want me to discharge the bone-eating acid currently buried between your scalp and your skull.” 

Laura froze. The shape of Carmilla’s name still on her lips. She braced herself on the sink leaning back into it. 

“How,” She started, unsure how to phrase her question. 

“Oh, Laura, you’ll find many things are doable with enough determination.” The strange man chuckled to himself. He sounded relatively young. 20s, maybe 30s. “Last night I injected machinery of my own making into your head. It’s how you can hear me right now. Well, really I injected thousands of nanites that assembled into the machinery. I can hear you, make you hear me, and kill you.” Laura swallowed. Her mouth was dry. 

“LaFontaine did a full physical on me, they didn’t find anything,” Laura whispered. 

“That’s the beauty of these nanites,” He chimed, seemingly very proud of himself. “There’s no metal, nothing detectable in the bloodstream for the first week give or take. It doesn’t even give off abnormal frequency waves. And the injection site pain doesn’t start for about 24 hours, as you’ve seen.” 

Laura was already almost paralyzed with fear, but somehow her heart sank even deeper as she thought of her lover, still peacefully asleep in the next room. 

“What about Carmilla? Did you do anything to her?” Her voice shook as she spoke.

“No, I haven’t done anything to  _ Carmilla _ , yet.” He spoke Carmilla’s name with such revile that a shiver spread through Laura’s whole body. “Now, I don’t want to kill you, but I will if I have to. So, I advise that you do what I tell you. Alright?” 

Laura paused before answering, scouring her brain for any way she could fight back without endangering her own life or, god forbid, Carmilla’s. She was outmatched. “Okay.” She breathed. 

“Good,” She could practically hear the smile on his lips.”You’re going to turn off the bathroom light and walk into the kitchen.” 

Laura flicked the lightswitch with a shaking hand and was instantly surrounded by darkness. She crossed the bedroom silently, sparing a pained glance at Carmilla. She was on her back with her head turned to one side. A streak of moonlight sprawled across her cheek, emphasizing her perfect jawline. 

Once she made her way to the kitchen, Laura stood stock still. 

“I’m here.” She whispered.

“Good. Now put on your shoes.” Anxiety, hot and volatile briefly heated Laura’s body before chilling into dread. She slowly slid on her ratty converse and tied them clumsily. As she finished and stood up, she saw a notepad on the counter and a pen nearby. Her pulse was in her ears as she tiptoed to it and scrawled a message as fast as possible on the paper. Luckily, the paper was serrated. She was able to pull the note loose and take the pad and pen with her. 

“Done.” 

“Now leave the building. Don’t bring anything with you, no keys, no wallet, and certainly no phone. 

Laura scribbled another note on the paper as she opened the door, dropping it on their doormat. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She made her way down two stories in an empty stairwell, each step echoing unsettlingly. The lobby was also vacant, and so she passed through the glass front doors. A shiver rocked her body even as a warm breeze brushed across her. 

“Here.”

“Across the street is a black van. Walk to the right side and enter using the side door. Sit down facing forward.” Sure enough, she saw the van. Frantically, she wrote one more note before discarding the pen and pad on a bench and walking with shaky legs to the windowless vehicle. The door slid open easily and darkness met her eyes.  _ Girl up, Hollis _ , she thought to herself as she slid into the van and faced forward. 

A cloth was suddenly pressed against her mouth. Instinctively she tried to fight, but within a few seconds, she began feeling weak. She quickly lost control of her body. She was vaguely aware of her head slumping to the left before her mind was consumed by darkness. 

__________

Carmilla only permitted herself a minute of tears before pulling herself up. She had no time to waste. She grabbed her phone which still sat next to Laura’s on the bed stand. Pacing the bedroom she dialed LaFontaine. They picked up on the forth trill. 

“Hey, how are you guys hold-” 

“She’s gone.” Carmilla choked out, tears still streaking down her cheeks. 

“What?” They asked, taken aback. 

“I said, she’s gone.” Carmilla raised her voice now. Almost yelling into the phone. “She was with me when I went to sleep and I woke up and now she’s gone. Her phone is still here.” 

“Okay, okay.” Though they tried to sound calming, LaFontaine was clearly also scared. “Perr and I are on our way right now, sit tight. We’re gonna rally the troops” They cut out a moment later and Carmilla threw her phone onto the bed, shouting with frustration before stalking into the kitchen. 

Checking over their shoes, she found that Laura’s pair of converse were missing God, where was she? Fear and anger mixed sickeningly in the pit of her stomach, in her chest. Her eyes started to grow unfocused and she felt like she could drown. She couldn’t, though. She didn’t have time. She needed to focus. Forcing herself forward, she made her way to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of Hemo-Soy. As she chugged the liquid in front of the open door, something caught her eye. A piece of paper sat propped against a bag of sugar. Discarding the now empty bottle, she picked it up, reading the note which bore Laura’s handwriting. 

_ “He can hear me. Have to do what he says or will kill me.” _

The message was like a blow to the stomach. Carmilla had to fight to keep herself from keeling over as though she’d actually been hurt. Her mind spun in a dizzying hellscape, imagining what terrible things could be happening to Laura. Laura, who insisted they take spiders outside instead of killing them. Laura, who always had cash for homeless people. Laura, who didn’t deserve any of this. 

Carmilla crossed to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She needed to be composed when the others arrived. She needed to be strong. She needed Laura. When she finished drying her face, Carmilla began pacing the kitchen. She circled the island a few times before impatiently approaching the door. As she reached the welcome mat something crunched beneath her bare foot. Looking down she felt a jolt when she found another piece of paper. She frantically scrambled to pick it up and read the writing. 

_ “Told me to leave the building.” _

Still shoeless and barely dressed, Carmilla darted out of the apartment, leaving the door gaping. She burst through the front doors of the building, almost colliding with a neighbor as she did so. She found the book almost immediately. It sat haphazardly on the edge of the bus stop bench in front of their building. She picked up the book and ran her fingers across the lettering. 

_ “Told me get in black van across street. I love you.” _

__________

The first thing Laura was aware of was a strong smell of battery acid. She wrinkled her nose reflexively, straining to open her heavy eyes. She was on her side spread across a couch, her head sunk so far into the old vinyl that only one of her eyes could open. The room was dim, save for a large mechanical apparatus which was lit up in many places. The light from the many switchboards and dials bounced off of the windowless concrete walls, casting shadows across the floor, which was also concrete. 

Movement caught her eye, and suddenly Laura realized she was not alone. A man who looked to be mid to late 20s sat at a large screen near the center of the machine. He was thin and pale, an uneven sheen of stubble across his chin and cheeks. His hair reached just below his ears and seemed to be covered in grease. At the top of his forehead, it was already beginning to recede. He tapped at the screen with gloved hands, muttering under his breath. It seemed he had yet to notice she was awake. 

Realizing this might be her chance, Laura tried to get up, but her legs wouldn’t move. Confused, she tried again, pulling hard against what she realized were bindings. Panicking, she tried to pull her arms from behind her, only to find that they were also restrained. 

Her struggling must have made some noise because the man looked up from his screen at her and smiled. 

“Well hello there Laura, it really is a pleasure to meet you face to face.” He rose from his seat as he spoke, making his way to a trash covered foldable chair nearby the couch. After sweeping the assorted fast food bags and napkins to the ground he sat down. 

“Who the hell are you?” Laura spat with as much vitriol as she could muster. Now that he was closer and she could see him more clearly, she realized something seemed familiar about him. Not enough to provide answers, but enough to unnerve her even further. 

“Right, I suppose you wouldn’t know me. Let me introduce myself. I’m Nathen,” He eyed Laura while he paused, leaning in as if for dramatic effect. “Nathen Vordenburg.” 


	10. Revelations (Part 2)

“Vordenberg?!” Laura echoed. The man’s smile grew as he watched shock and disbelief dance across her face. 

“Well, technically it’s _von_ Vordenberg, but I tend to just leave off the von, kind of antiquated.”

“I don’t understand. The baron never mentioned any other living Vordenbergs”

“Yeah, well, my grandfather didn’t like talking about me much.” He leaned back as he finished, crossing his arms.”Dad died when I was little. He sent me to live with distant relatives. Too busy with all his power grabs and faux righteous crusades. Then he went and got himself murdered and I was left to my own devices.” 

Laura’s mind was reeling as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. “Look, Nathan, I am so sorry about what happened with the baron. You have to believe me when I say I wouldn’t have done it if I thought there was any other option.”

“Of course there was another option,” He spat, the humor draining out of his features. “You could have let him decapitate that bitch vampire.” Laura winced at his words. Once again she heard raw vitriol in his voice as he spoke about Carmilla. The hatred felt so absolute. After a moment, he softened his features slightly, leaning towards her once again. “But it’s okay, Laura. I don’t blame you. You were young and she was manipulating you. She had a hold over you. I know you didn’t mean it” He reached out to stroke Laura’s cheek. Before he could make contact she snapped her head back as far as she could. He sighed and withdrew his hand. Laura felt her fear muddle with anger at his presumptions. His audacity. 

“She didn’t have a hold over me. I did it because I love her. And I would do it again if I had to.” 

Nathan sighed again and stood, making his way back toward the machine. “I know you think that now, but once her influence is broken, I think you’ll realize I’m saving you.” Laura felt her heart drop at his words. He had now reached the machine again and was typing rapidly at the screen. Laura suddenly became aware of a dull whirring, slowly getting louder. When she found her voice, it was almost a whisper. 

“What are you going to do?” He kept walking, ignoring her, “Hey I’m talking to you! What the hell are you going to do?!” 

“I’m going to do what my grandfather couldn’t. I’m going to kill Carmilla Karnstein.” 

__________

40 minutes after Carmilla found Laura’s third and final note, she had welcomed the cavalry into the small apartment. LaFontaine, Perry, Kirsch, Danny, and Mel all stood in the kitchen, encircling the island. They listened in stunned silence as Carmilla detailed the events of her morning. There was a long pause after she finished speaking while everyone looked at each other. Finally, LaFontaine spoke. 

“That intersection at the corner of your building, there should be traffic cams there right?” 

“I suppose. Though I guess I’m a little too preoccupied with the fact that  _ my fiance has been kidnapped _ to have put much thought into it.” Carmilla clenched her fists at her sides as she spoke, a last-ditch effort to reign in her temper. 

LaFontaine shot her a look before continuing. “What I  _ mean _ is, if there is a traffic cam at that intersection, and we can get access to the footage, we may be able to see the car that took Laura.” Carmilla unclenched her fists and briefly shot LaFontaine an apologetic look. She would have to remember to apologize properly when this was over. When she had Laura back.

“I can call the station,” Mel started. “If there is a traffic cam we should have access to the footage and I can give them some bullshit reason why I need it.”

“Okay, good. Do that.” Carmilla said as she opened the fridge to pull out another Hemo-Soy.

An excruciating hour went by before Mel’s laptop dinged, startling everyone. 

“It’s the footage,” Mel said, clicking the attached file in her inbox. The group gathered around her to view the screen as she played the grainy video. It showed the busy street in front of the apartment. To the right was the building and to the left a parking lot, with the street cutting down center-screen. There was no black van. The time-stamp read 10 PM.

“Speed up the footage, we don’t know what time ‘he’ came.” Carmilla urged impatiently. Mel conceded and hit the fast forward button until cars whizzed by and the time-stamp was almost a blur. Suddenly a dark blur stopped on the left side of the road. Mel stopped the fast forward, returning to real-time. Everyone was silent as they watched in fearful anticipation. 

Carmilla inhaled sharply when a wobbly, bedraggled Laura exited the building. She watched with dread as Laura frantically scribbled on the notepad and dropped it onto the bus bench. Laura then crossed the road and hesitantly entered the vehicle. A moment later, it sped away. 

“Ho-ly shit,” Mel said, already rewinding the video. 

“God,” Carmilla muttered under her breath. Danny leaned into the screen as Mel paused the video on a relatively clear frame. 

“I can’t quite tell what that license is. LaF, can your laser eye help us out here?” At that, everyone turned to LaFontaine, who was already staring intently at the image, making the facial expression they always did when they were seeing something the others were not. 

“5, no, S. It’s S L 6 W 4 K.” They recited, Perry already writing it down. 

“Alright,” Danny said, pushing off of the island where she was leaning and pulling out her phone. “I’m calling a contact, we’re getting the info on that vehicle.” 

She stepped away from the group and held her phone to her ear. The person answered quickly and Danny wasted no time explaining what she needed and reminding them that they  _ “still owed her for last time.” _ A minute later she grabbed the notepad from the table, turned it to an empty page, and began writing. 

“Really? Are you sure you’re reading that right? Alright. Holy shit. Thanks so much, you have no idea how much that helps. Uh-huh. Yep. I’ll see you on Monday.” With that, Danny hung up and turned around to find almost everyone watching her. Kirsch, ever the exception, was making a sandwich at the counter. “The van is licensed to a ‘Nathan Vordenberg’ at 2413 East Chestnut Boulevard. ” 

“I’m sorry, come again?” Mel asked. 

“The last name is Vordenberg,” Danny replied, handing Mel the notepad. “I’m as shocked as you.” 

“Wait,” Kirsch interjected, mouth half-full of sandwich. “Vordenberg like,  _ Vordenberg?! _ ”

“Seems like it,” Mel said. 

“As in the guy who turned my frat bros into fastests who-” Danny cut him off. 

“Fascists” She supplied. 

“Yes, right,  _ fascists _ , who he made kill Danny?”

“Yep,” LaFontaine spoke that time.

“And who tried to kill Carmilla?”

“Uh-huh.” Perry this time. Anxious as ever.

“And who Laura killed with that charter thing?” 

“Yes.” Carmilla began. “God damn it, we have to get to her. We’re going to that address.” She said in a tone that left no room for argument.

“Say no more,” Mel said, pulling her crossbow, Gertrude, out of her bag. 

A few more minutes went by as everyone organized. LaFontaine and Perry organized equipment while chatting in hushed voices. Danny and Kirsch went over a combined stack of melee weapons they had produced from their bags. Mel fiddled with Gertrude. After a quick trip to her closet, Carmilla returned with a large knife sitting in a holster on her hip. 

“Let’s do this.” She said, heading for the door. 

__________ 

Laura could feel her heart through her chest as he started attaching wires to a circuit board. 

“Nathan! Hey, Nathan!” She yelled. He shot a glance sideways at her. “Look it wasn’t her fault, okay? I’m the one who killed him. I did it, not her. And she wasn’t influencing me or making me do it. I made that choice. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me.” There was silence for a moment after she spoke. Then, his shoulders bounced slightly and she realized he was laughing. 

He turned to her again “You think this is all about my grandfather? No, this is so much deeper than that. You know she slaughtered my ancestors, right? Almost wiped out the entire Vordenberg line. We used to be a powerful family. We were respected. We never recovered after her rampage. We’re a fucking joke. ‘The lesser sons of greater fathers’, as my grandfather said.” 

“Your ancestor grave-robbed her body! He was holding her against her will. He was trying to force her to marry him. ” 

“And what would have been so bad about that. He was a good man and would have been a good husband to her. Better than she deserved.”

“She didn’t love him.” 

“And why couldn’t she? Because she was too good for him? Because she’s a fucking dyke?” Nathan’s words rendered Laura speechless. She lay with her mouth gaping as he held her gaze with a cold stare. When he spoke again he was quieter but resolute. “That bitch ruined my goddamned life before it even started. She ruined my whole family. I’m making it right.” 

“Killing Carmilla won’t bring them back. It won’t change anything. All it will do is create more pain.” Laura tried to make her voice as even as she could as she spoke. While she doubted reasoning with him was likely to work, it was pretty much her only option. 

“Now that’s where you’re wrong.” He was turned away from her as he spoke, but Laura could hear his smile. A chill ran down her back. “Killing her is actually going to do exactly that because I’m not killing her now. If I wanted to do that I’d have just staked her last night.” Laura trembled at the thought. “I’m killing her in 1680.” 

“Wha-” Laura began but trailed off as she eyed the machine again and things began clicking in her brain. “You’re behind all the transported particles. You’re traveling back in time to kill her. She’ll only be a baby!” Laura was distraught now. She writhed against the restraints as her breath became labored. 

“Yeah, I know she’ll be a baby. That’s kind of the point. She’s dead before she ever gets the change to ruin anything, and she can’t fight back.” 

He sounded positively giddy at the prospect. Laura felt sick. Sweat was gathering at her temples now, her struggling growing more violent, though still equally futile. 

“You’re evil! You’re a murderer!” She shouted between tugs. 

“Wrong again,” he chided. “I’m a hero.” And with that, he began attaching electrodes to his forehead. Laura could feel hot, angry tears begin to streak down her cheeks of their own volition. Of course, he noticed. “Hey, it’s okay. By the time I’m back, you won’t even remember she existed. You won’t be sad anymore.” His words only made her tears come faster. “Do you know why I brought you here, Laura?” He asked innocently. The question gave her pause. She ceased her struggling momentarily as she looked at him in confusion, realizing she had no idea. 

“Why?” She asked, anger coating her words. 

“Because, Laura, I think you’re a good person. And I think once that vampire no longer has her hooks in you, you’ll come around, maybe even be grateful to your savior.” The way he spoke left an awful taste in Laura’s mouth. “You’re confused right now, but I’m going to help you.” he paused before speaking again, his eyes wandering across Laura’s body in a way that made her feel dirty. “You really are a beautiful woman, Laura, and it’s so wasted on her.”

“You’re sick!” Laura shouted, resuming her struggling. He sighed and turned away. He raised his hand to a particularly large switch. 

“See you on the other side.” He said. Then he lowered himself into the chair below him and turned the switch. 

“No!” Laura screamed. Her vision grew blurry as her veins filled with adrenaline. She vaguely registered that he had begun shaking in the chair. Her wrists seared with pain as she tugged impossibly harder at her restraints. Suddenly, there was a snap and her hands were free, the zip tie falling to the ground. Her legs were still bound, but that didn’t matter. Desperately, she flung her body onto the ground and began pulling herself toward Nathan. 

When she reached the machine she grabbed at the leg of his chair and pulled. It slid a few inches toward her, but he remained attached to the apparatus. Laura grabbed at his still-shaking leg next, using it to pull her higher up his body. Her finger hooked around one of the electrode cords and she pulled it loose. It fell directly into her hand and the receptor surface made contact with her skin. 

Suddenly, everything was technicolor. The lights from the machine pulsed neon in her eyes, the air itself seeming to glow. Then the light was narrowing, as though she was looking down a never-ending tunnel. She thought for a second that she heard someone calling her name, but the tunnel was getting smaller and smaller, and suddenly she was in darkness. 

__________ 

The drive to 2413 East Chestnut Boulevard was only about 15 minutes. It was nearing 2 PM when they arrived. Carmilla swallowed hard as LaFontaine pulled up in front of an old, decrepit house. It was tall, made of dark brick. Carmilla could tell it used to be a lesser estate of some kind, but it was now deeply in disrepair. 

“Look!” Kirsch said, pointing farther up the drive. Carmilla’s eyes followed his finger, and sure enough, there was the black van.

“That’s it. SL6 W4K.” LaFontaine said. 

Carmilla was out of the car before they had finished speaking, walking purposefully towards the door. 

“Carmilla! Wait!” Perry called. “Shouldn’t we discuss a plan?”

“The plan is I charge in here and kill anything or anyone in between me and Laura,” Carmilla replied. She then kicked the door in. 

The foyer of the house smelled of mildew and dust. Old picture frames hung on the walls, so filthy that the images were obscured beyond recognition. Carmilla walked through into what appeared to have been a library. Empty, broken shelves lined the walls. What sparse furniture was there was covered in discolored white sheets. There was less dust though, and one of the couches was uncovered, food wrappers littering the ground around it. Someone had been here. Suddenly, Carmilla heard voices from below. The floors were old and thick, and so she couldn’t make out words, but the familiar lilt of Laura’s voice was unmistakable. 

The others were now piling in behind her, but she wasn’t focused on them. Instead, she made her way to a door near the uncovered couch and forced it open. A dimly lit set of stairs descended below her. The voices were louder now. Quietly, Carmilla turned to the others and held a finger to her mouth before pointing down the stairs.

Suddenly, a scream rang out from below and she was hurtling downwards, the others on her heels. At the base of the stairs, Carmilla tried to get her bearings. The floor and walls were concrete, and most of the visible floor space was stacked ceiling-high with ancient chests and boxes. She knew she was close, though. She could smell Laura now. Her heart ached. Desperately, she fought through the stacks. Her eyes caught a dim light from an offshoot of the room and she charged for it.

Both the light and Laura’s scent grew stronger as she drew nearer. Finally, she turned the corner and she froze. Her vision grew blurry as she surveyed the scene before her, and she screamed. 


	11. Memory Lane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for how long it took to get this chapter uploaded. There's still a few more to go, but I have them planned I promise I won't abandon this story.   
> Thanks for reading!

The darkness lasted for only a moment before Laura’s eyes snapped into focus. She was looking at the night sky. A vast swath of stars brighter and more abundant than she’d ever seen before decorated her vision. As her eyes flicked from cluster to cluster, she found Orion, Cassiopea, and Taurus. Carmilla had taught her these constellations and how to find them. 

_ Carmilla.  _

Suddenly the reality of Laura’s situation brought her back to Earth. Tentatively, she moved her hands, feeling them drag through loose soil and pine needles. Leaning forward she pushed herself into a sitting position. Laura found herself in the midst of several tall pine trees. To her left, she could see trees trailing into the distance, their dense leaves shifting and casting unnerving shadows. To the right, the trees thinned until they eventually met a stone wall of about 10 feet. Past the wall, Laura could make out the sharp spire of a tower’s roof. 

Her attention was pulled away from the building, however, when a snapping noise ricocheted from further down the walls. When she turned her head, Laura saw the branch of one of the trees which was just next to the wall, shaking harshly. Looking closer, she unmistakably saw a denim-clad leg slipping over the wall. A second later she heard a dull thud, followed by some crunching and scuffling which eventually faded to silence. 

Though Laura was still unsure of where, or when, she was, her surroundings gave her some clues. For one, the pines which surrounded her were jarringly similar to those she’d seen six months ago in Styria. Also, the stars were astonishingly bright, so much so that it seemed there was no light pollution at all. She knew she had to be miles away from any city for that to be true. Unless, of course, the ‘when’ she was was pre-Thomas Edison. Say, maybe, a few centuries pre-Edison. She first thought it offhandedly, then the realization hit her like a freight train. Somehow, by trying to disconnect Nathan, she had also been catapulted through space-time. 

Jolted into action, Laura attempted to jump to her feet, only to find that her legs were still rather elaborately zip-tied. Thinking quickly, she began sifting through the soil around her. It took only a moment to find a rock sharp enough to snap the taut plastic bands, and once she did she was on her feet and running towards the now-stilled tree that overhung the wall. She considered taking the broken ties with her, but with no time and no pockets, all she could do was mutter a prayer that this wasn’t a butterfly-effect situation and leave them behind. 

The tree had several knots protruding, making it relatively easy to scale. Within a minute, Laura was heaving her legs over the wall. She paused for a moment on the wall, taking in the scene before her. The tower roof she had seen previously was actually the very top of a Schloss. It was a formidable building, at least 4-stories tall. There were several windows, though only one showed a faint, flickering light. It was a small window tucked into one of the shorter towers. Though she was still about 20 yards away, Laura could make out a uniform, gray cobblestone filling out the walls, with wrought iron spires and other garnishes adorning the structure where appropriate. It was just as Laura remembered Carmilla describing when she reminisced about her childhood. When she squinted she thought she could make out a shadow in the distance, moving towards the back of the Schloss, towards the lit tower. Laura felt her heart grow heavy in her chest. 

Laura had wanted for so long to be able to visit this place. Unfortunately, it had fallen into disrepair sometime in the late 1800s and fully caved in in the 1960s. Carmilla had expressed no interest in visiting  _ “A pile of old stones.” _ as she put it, and so that part of her life had remained frustratingly unreachable to Laura. In some ways, Laura and Carmilla’s relationship was just like any other. They made Sunday morning omelets and showed each other TV shows and kissed on New Year’s Eve. In other ways, though, having a fiance that was 337 years old made things a little unconventional. Laura couldn’t meet Carmilla’s family. She couldn’t visit her childhood home or pour over baby pictures in the family scrapbook. (the precious few paintings that existed of a young Carmilla were all done during her teen years.) Laura had yearned for so long to feel more connected to Carmilla’s past, but it had always seemed impossible. And yet, here she was, sitting on the brink of Carmilla’s home, of Carmilla’s life, and it was all wrong. A disgusting, entitled, and a truly sick man was intruding. He was trying to snuff her out. All that passion and beauty to be crushed. There was no way Laura could let that happen.

Sucking in a breath, Laura lept from the wall, attempting a poorly executed tuck and roll that left her once again on her back. Immediately, she sprung up again and launched a full-blown sprint in the same direction as the now-gone shadow.

As Laura neared the Schloss she began to slow down, scanning the surrounding grounds and darkened windows for any signs of company. Seemingly, she remained unnoticed as she reached the stone wall, which she could now see was covered in moss. Her fingers brushed against the soft mush and rough stone as she wrapped around the perimeter to reach the back-side of the building. 

On this side of the Schloss, Laura found more dark windows and mossy stone, though tucked near the protrusion of the tower was nestled a wooden door. Laura beelined for it, and in her haste, almost tripped over a pile of groundskeeping tools stowed next to the door. As soon as she pressed her hand to the wood, the door swung open. Confused, Laura looked down to find that the rudimentary locking apparatus lay partially melted at her feet. A chill ran through her body and she swallowed dryly before crossing the threshold. 

Almost absolute darkness met her inside. She seemed to be in some kind of pantry. The small room had no windows, opting instead for built-in wall-to-wall shelving filled with cloth sacks and wooden boxes. Wedged between the shelves were two doors, one in front of Laura and one to her right. Her eyes nervously flicked from one to the other for a moment before she noticed that the side door was just slightly ajar. Without putting too much thought into it, Laura veered right and cautiously pulled the door further open. 

Laura was met with the base of a spiral staircase. With a cursory glance at the curvature of the walls, she realized she was in the tower. Sure enough, when she looked up she could see a very faint glow from the landing far above. Unsure of what she’d find, but sure she had to do something, Laura swallowed her fear and began hurriedly tiptoeing upward. 

Several spirals later, Laura had almost reached the top when she froze at the sound of a voice. She stood completely still, only a few feet from the landing, but still partially concealed by darkness. It was a woman’s voice. At first, Laura had thought she was speaking gibberish, but she quickly realized it was actually German. Barely breathing, Laura listened as the woman cooed and giggled above her, before beginning to sing. The notes were soft, inflection full of cheer. A nursery rhyme no doubt, but it was more than that. For a moment, Laura was confused, disoriented. She  _ knew _ this song. For a split second, she was no longer scared and alone. 

She remembered a night from several years ago. It was a month or so after their final ordeal at Silas, and Laura and Carmilla were huddled together in Laura's childhood bedroom. She remembered sobs wracking her body, and her teeth chattering despite both the comforter and Carmilla being firmly wrapped around her. She’d had another in a stream of nightmares about that final night at Silas; about her heart being ripped out of her chest and the feeling of life leaving her body. Every night she had been forced over and over to feel her raw fear, coupled with debilitating sorrow and regret as she watched Carmilla mourn her. She was forced to watch like a disembodied specter as Carmilla shook her lifeless body and wept and begged. In her dreams, she never came back. 

It was one of those dreams that had woken her with a start, which was quickly followed by tears. Carmilla had held her, murmuring tender words against her flesh. That particular night, nothing seemed to assuage the visceral memory of pain, and so eventually Carmilla had stopped talking. Laura remembered a moment of silence in the dark as she shook, and then, Carmilla’s voice filled her ear again, carrying an unfamiliar melody. Laura already knew that Carmilla had a beautiful voice, but something about how she carried that gentle foreign tune made the impossibly heavy knot in her chest lighten, just slightly. The relief of even that much reprieve had Laura sinking limply into Carmilla, who eased them both backward until they were lying down. 

Carmilla had continued to sing for a few more minutes as Laura had slowly traded her fear for exhaustion. Eventually, Carmilla fell quiet just as Laura reached the brink of unconsciousness. Just before she’d given in to sleep, Laura had turned to face Carmilla. 

“What was that? Where did you learn it?” She’d asked, her voice barely there. Carmilla had smiled. 

“I don’t remember much about my mother, or my childhood, but I do remember that. It’s a very old german nursery rhyme. She would sing it to me whenever I was sad, or scared, and I always remember it helping, so I thought maybe it could help you too.”

Now it was Laura’s turn to smile. “That’s really sweet, Carm. I love you so much, you know that right?”

“Yes, I do, and…” Laura had fallen asleep before Carmilla finished. 

The memory danced in Laura’s head as she heard what was unmistakable the same tune wafting out from the candlelit room above her. Then, the song ended and the spell was broken. Laura heard rustling, and then footsteps. The illuminating light went dark a few moments before a door closed.

Tentatively, Laura crept up the remaining few stairs until she was faced with a slightly cracked door, now with only the slightest hint of moonlight glowing beyond. Mouth dry and hands shaky, Laura pushed until the door swung open. Though her eyes were still adjusting to the lack of light, several windows lined the far wall, letting in enough moonlight for her to make out her surroundings. The room was large and circular in shape, curved walls leading up to a slightly domed ceiling. Carmilla had talked about her bedroom at the top of a tower. She’d smiled wistfully as she described standing on her tiptoes to look out onto the grounds and waving at the groundskeepers. 

Various pieces of furniture lines the walls of the room. A rocking chair was situated just next to one of the windows, angled sideways so both mother and child could enjoy the view. A large wooden wardrobe sat on the other side of the room, snug between two windows. Laura didn’t pay much mind to either, though, because in the center of the room, sitting on a round, soft-looking rug was what looked like an antique crib. Laura was just about to draw nearer to it when she heard a creak. Holding her breath, Laura pressed herself as flat as possible against the door, eyes searching for the source of the sound. 

Another moment passed and the wardrobe door swung open, revealing none other than Nathan Vordenburg. Laura watched in horror as he stepped out and walked to the crib. As he approached he reached into his pocket, searching for something, and Laura had a pretty good guess what. Her fear turned to hot rage in her veins at the sight of him looking down at what Laura knew was Carmilla, a sleeping infant. There was absolutely no way in hell that Laura would let harm come to that child. 

Just as the hilt of a pocket knife became visible in Nathan’s grasp, Laura charged. The element of surprise was in her favor as she channeled all her strength into pinning him against the wall. He was disoriented for a second before his eyes focused on her and they went from shock to confusion, to slight amusement. 

“Well, this was unexpected.” He said, in almost a whisper. 

“You are not going to touch her,” Laura said, keeping her voice low but punctuating each word with force. 

“You don’t get to make that choice sweetheart,” He said, before pulling a knee upward to make painful contact with Laura’s ribs. Laura gasped and staggered backward. Nathan tried to use the window to beeline for the crib, knife now open in his hand. Swallowing down the pain, Laura grabbed his arm and twisted until he was forced to turn or risk breaking it. As soon as he was facing her, Laura kneed him in the groin with all the force she had. His legs gave out from under him and he crashed to his hands and knee. Laura tried to jump back but he brought his arm up too quickly and slashed with the knife. She felt a strip of pain materialize on her calf, and it was all she could do not to cry out. 

Laura realized quickly that she wasn’t going to win this. She may be versed in Krav Maga, but he was bigger than her and armed. Heart racing and leg throbbing, Laura used the split second she had before Nathan arose to do the only thing she could think to. 

Ignoring the pain, Laura ran to the crib and pulled Carmilla into her arms. Without looking back, Laura ran back through the door and down the towering stairs. She could hear Nathan behind her, she only had a few feet of lead. When she reached the storeroom off of the landing, Laura once again eyed two doors nervously. On a whim, she ran to the previously closed door that led deeper into the Schloss and swung it wide before turning and bolting out the other door, back into the night. 

Carmilla was stirring now, making confused whines that were sure to turn to sobs at any moment. Laura silently begged her to hold off just a moment more as she beelined for the first building she saw, a weather-worn shed several yards to her left. As she thundered across the grounds, Laura thanked several gods she couldn’t hear anyone behind her. She reached the building in record time and the wooden door swung open without much resistance. Without thinking, she crossed the threshold into the darkness and pushed the door shut behind her. 

Just as the door closed, Carmilla let out a full-blown wail that reverberated through the small building. Desperately, Laura felt through the darkness as she hushed the baby, trying to put as much distance between them and the door as possible. Eventually, she reached a wall and pressed her back to it, sliding down until she was sitting. Gently, she moved the swaddling blanket away from Carmilla’s face as the infant screamed again, utterly terrified. Laura couldn’t make out much in the dark, so she pressed a hand to Carmilla’s cheek. Hot tears were streaming down impossibly soft cheeks. Nervously, Laura cleared her throat. 

“Hey, hey.” She whispered, dabbing at the tears with a corner of the blanket. “It’s okay. I’ve you, Carmilla,” Laura paused. “Mircalla, I guess you’re Mircalla right now.” 

As she spoke, Laura shifted just slightly and a streak of moonlight from a crack in the wall illuminated Carmilla’s face. Laura was speechless of a moment, holding perfectly still to keep the light in place. Carmilla had stopped sobbing and her breathing was slowly returning to normal as she looked up at Laura. Laura could feel her own eyes becoming cloudy as they met the deep inquisitive eyes below her. It was Carmilla. Laura felt the absoluteness of the revelation as sure as she felt the ground beneath her. The deep brown irises glittered in the moonlight as they roamed her face. A small tuft of black hair peeked out from the blanket just above those beautiful eyes. Below lay barely visible cheekbones, almost completely covered with baby fat. Laura couldn’t suppress a giggle as she looked at the pudgy face below her. 

“You never told me you were such a chubby baby,” Laura said, a slight smile upturning her lips. “You’re so cute.” Laura reached out and tapped Carmilla’s nose as she spoke, and her heart flipped as the baby giggled. 

There was a movement in the blanket over Carmilla’s chest, and then a tiny hand slipped through the fabric and reached up for Laura’s hair. Chubby fingers quickly became tangled in Laura’s cascade of hair, pulling rather painfully. 

“Ow, hey,” Laura chided while disentangling Carmilla’s hand. As soon as she was free, Carmilla grabbed instead at Laura’s hand, and her hand wrapped around a finger, squeezing surprisingly tight. Laura was overwhelmed with emotion and doing everything to hold it back. Carmilla was here, in her arms. A baby, a human. She had been through no violence or abuse. No one had taught her the meaning of cruelty, or crushed her optimistic side almost beyond repair. 

“Hi, there,” Laura said, still speaking in a hushed whisper. “I know you don’t know me, but I know you. I love you, so much.” Laura rubbed her thumb along the knuckles of Carmilla’s fisted hand. “You are going to go through a lot. I wish I could save you from it, Carm. I wish I could take away all the ways people are going to hurt you.” Laura swallowed down a sob, a few tears launching down her cheeks. “But I can’t do that. Carmilla, things are going to be really awful for a really long time, and you don’t deserve it. But I  _ promise _ you, that one day you will be free. One day, hundreds of years from now, I’m going to hold you again, and I’m going to love you like you should have been loved before. I promise.” With that, Laura leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Carmilla’s forehead. After a moment, Laura pulled back, only to find Carmilla fast asleep, hand still loosely grasping her. She was so perfect. 

Laura did not get to savor the moment though, because a moment later shouting broke out from the direction of the Schloss. Reflexively, Laura pulled Carmilla closer to her. She could hear at least three voices: two men and a woman. The woman sounded distraught. Doing her best not to wake Carmilla, Laura rose to her feet and returned to the door. Tentatively, she pressed her head against the crack in the frame and peered through. It was dark outside, but her eyes had grown more than accustomed in the comparatively darker shed, and she could just make out the figures standing near the back entrance of the Schloss. A tall man stood, sword drawn, in the moonlight. A few feet behind her a woman cowered, sobbing. Movement on the ground caught Laura’s eye, and she realized that the tall man was standing over another, smaller man. Even from this distance, she could tell it was Nathan. Nathan lay on the ground, propped up by his elbows as the man above brandished his sword. 

Laura didn’t know what anyone was saying, but the scene gave her a pretty good idea of what was happening. Nathan had been caught, relief flooded her and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. 

Suddenly, the woman screamed as Nathan kicked the tall man’s leg, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Not wasting any time, Nathan scrambled to his feet and ran. The woman helped the man up and he tried to chase after Nathan’s quickly disappearing form but stopped in defeat after a few strides. Laura watched the man return to the weeping woman and hold her. Having been caught, Laura realized that Nathan was probably about to zap them out of this time. She realized she had to get Carmilla back to her family. 

Laura was certain that the couple was Carmilla’s parents, and with Nathan now out of sight, she pushed the door to the shed open and stepped out. She walked carefully across the grounds, trying not to jostle the sleeping baby in her arms. Once she was about halfway between the shed and the Schloss, the woman noticed her and immediately ran towards her. The man tried to hold her back but she shook him off, yelling at Laura in German as she approached. As she drew near, Laura held out her arms, offering Carmilla. The woman snatched Carmilla as soon as she was within reach and hugged her close, still crying. The man had joined them now and was speaking to Laura, though she had no idea what he was saying. He was growing heated, pointing at her as he raised his voice. Laura simply snapped back and shook her head, unsure of what to do. 

Luckily, Laura didn’t have to stand in confusion for long, because suddenly the scene before her vanished into a shock of technicolor light that dissolved quickly into blackness. 

After what felt both like an eternity and a split-second, Laura’s vision returned, blurry, and filled with shadows. Machine whirring filled her ears, and her knees ached against a hard surface below her. She was back in the makeshift lab. Her head was pressed against fabric, which she realized a moment too late belonged to Nathan’s pants. Before she was fully aware of what was happening, she felt a fist make contact with her face, and she was flung backward. 

“You bitch! You complete bitch!” Nathan was yelling. Laura tried to pull herself to her feet, but Nathan rose first, leveling another punch that knocked her onto her back. “Look what you fucking did! You ruined everything! I can’t go back, because I’m already there.” He was standing above her, hands balled in fists. “That time was the only value that calibrated correctly in the machine!” Even as pain pulsed throughout her face, Laura felt relief wash over her. She did it, she stopped him. He couldn’t hurt Carmilla. 

Nathan bent over in a flurry of motion and Laura felt a hand wrap into her hair. Suddenly, she was rising up, her scalp searing with sharp pain. Blinking furiously, Laura’s vision finally stabilized and she found herself face to face with Nathan. She felt a shiver go down her spine, the look in his eyes was that of blind hatred. “You’re going to regret this.” He spat, face inches away from her. 

“Laura!” A voice rang out, and suddenly Laura’s body was twisted so that she was facing away from Nathan. Across the room, she saw an archway, and in the center was Carmilla, her beautiful face contorted in fear and anger. Laura couldn’t help the relieved smile that began to spread across her face. This nightmare was almost over. 

Laura was about to call back to Carmilla when something cold touched her back, startling her. Then, it wasn’t cold, it was hot and sharp and it hurt so badly that she couldn’t help but cry out. The hand in her hair was suddenly gone and she collapsed to the ground, trying and failing to catch herself, she landed hard on her side, crying out again as her wound pulsed with pain. She realized then that she was not the only one screaming. Across the room, Carmilla made a sound somewhere between a shriek and a growl. 

“How does it feel?!” Nathan yelled at the vampire. Laura could make out a flurry of motion as Carmilla charged at him, but was unable to hold focus as the pain in her back grew unbearably worse and a chill began spreading throughout her body. She vaguely heard screaming, fighting. There was a bang, the lights flickered, and then someone was at her side, pulling her onto their lap. 

Laura forced her eyes to focus as she was turned to face upward, and found herself looking at Carmilla. For the second time that day, Laura found herself looking into beautiful, tear-filled brown eyes. 

“Laura, Laura,” Carmilla was saying, though Laura could barely make it out above the sound of her own pulse in her ears. She tried to suck in a breath but instead coughed. She felt warm liquid in her mouth. “No, no, no. Hey, Laura, look at me, okay? You’re gonna be okay. Help!” Carmilla looked up as she spoke, just thundering footsteps approached, and then more people were there. Laura could hear talking, but couldn’t focus enough to know what was being said. 

Someone else was leaning beside her now, and Laura turned her head with great effort to see LaFontaine pulling gloves over their hands. “Hey, Laura,” They said, their voice a mix of forced clinical-ism and fear. “Stay with us okay? Carmilla, hold her up.” Laura felt an arm at her shoulder blades and another at the base of her spine, and suddenly she was lifted off Carmilla’s lap. She felt rubber-covered fingers trace along her back and cried out when they found the knife-shaped hole.

“It’s okay, Laura, I’ve got you.” It was Carmilla, her mouth pressed to Laura’s ear. After a painful moment, the hand was gone and Laura was being lowered. 

“It’s deep. Based on the placement I think it’s punctured a lung. Carmilla, we can’t get her to the hospital in time, she’s losing too much blood and she’s not going to be able to breathe in about two minutes.” Laura heard the words, but couldn’t quite grasp what they meant. Carmilla’s hands around her tightened. 

“What are you saying? You have to do something!” Carmilla yelled. 

“I’m so sorry. Laura, I’m so-” LaFontaine started.

“Shut up! Don’t apologize, just fix her!” Carmilla’s harsh voice was catching on her sobs. Laura hated hearing her in such pain. Laura focused her eyes on Carmilla’s and did her best to inhale. 

“Carm,” She began. 

“Shh, shh. Don’t talk. Just keeping breathing okay?” Carmilla said.

“Carm,” Laura said again, insistent. “It’s okay. I did it, I-” Laura sputtered and coughed. Carmilla helped her forward and she spat dark blood into the pool that hand formed around her. She continued as Carmilla eased her back down. “I saved you. I was there with him. You were,” Another cough. “A cute baby.” Carmilla just sobbed harder at her words, bending over to press her head against Laura’s. Though her hand felt like it weighed a ton, Laura brought it up and cupped Carmilla’s cheek. Carmilla’s hand covered hers and held it there.

Carmilla pulled back slightly to look at Laura again, tears still flowing freely. “Laura, please. I can’t lose you, not again. Not like this.” Laura could feel the cold seeping into her brain, it was getting harder and harder to keep focus.

“Carm-, Carmilla. I told you that I would, I would love you as long as I was alive. It was true.” Her hand was suddenly far too heavy and went slack, only held up by Carmilla’s her. Her neck also lost its motor function, and the last thing Laura remembered was her head lulling back before the cold turned everything black. 

__________

For just a split-second, Carmilla didn’t believe it. Laura couldn’t be gone. Then, the realization hit all at once and she screamed like never before. She screamed until all she could hear was her own straining vocal cords. 

“Hey!” She heard someone say. She ignored them, Another scream rattling off. “Carmilla!” It was LaFontaine, in her face.  _ How dare they? How dare they interrupt her grief _ ? She was about to make them regret it when they spoke again. “ We need to go now! We have to keep her body cold.” A scream died in Carmilla’s throat as she processed what they were saying.    
“What?” She asked. 


	12. Revival

Death was peaceful. Laura felt herself spread across a vast, formless sea. Her consciousness not exactly gone, but broken into particles in an infinite sea, floating aimlessly across the waves. She was one, she was many, she was nothing. There was a strange familiarity with the feeling. This was, of course, not the first time she’d died. 

She remembered now, all those years ago, after feeling herself slip out of Carmilla’s arms and into the abyss. She had been afraid for the briefest moment before hearing a voice. It had been both foreign and familiar; both singular and innumerable. It was death, and Mattie, and her mother, and even a youthful Carmilla; all somehow distinct. They told her that she’d done well, that she’d earned her rest. She’d felt herself begin to dissolve into the same sea she now rode, but then found herself back on the ground, with Carmilla’s lips on hers, and the rest had been history. 

Now, Laura was fully immersed in the darkness. She gave herself over the rhythmic bobbing of the waves. She wished she could have stayed longer. She wished she’d had more time with Carmilla. She supposed everyone wished for more time. Still, Laura was at peace knowing she’d saved her love.

_ “Laura,” _ A voice wafted from somewhere far away. A memory?  _ “-need you.”  _ It took only a moment for Laura to realize it was Carmilla. Warmth washed throughout the sea at the sound of that gentle lilt. Laura could spend eternities happily lost in that sweet sound. 

_ “-okay.” _ It sounded again, maybe the faintest bit closer.  _ “I’m here-” _ Definitely closer now. Laura was practically keening towards the sound, the waves carrying her particulate matter higher.  _ “-love you so much, please-” _ She could almost feel the words, almost reach them.  _ “-back to me.”  _ The distinctive shape of lips was suddenly pressed against a wave, giving it substance. Everything was moving now, particles rushing and filling and binding.

Laura’s eyes opened to a dimly lit ceiling. Tilting her eyes down slightly she found a wall lined with file cabinets and machines covered in sterile bags. Her head was nestled into a pillow, and a large blanket was tucked around her. There was warmth at her left hand. Turning, she found Carmilla, tear-stained cheeks and closed eyes; lips pressed gingerly to Laura’s hand. 

Uncertainly, Laura opened her mouth. “Carm?” She managed. Her throat felt impossibly dry. 

Carmilla’s eyes snapped open and met Laura’s. “Laura?” She asked softly, her voice shaking a little. Laura felt a smile creep across her face. She managed a gentle squeeze to Carmilla’s hand which was already intertwined with her own. 

Laura swallowed before speaking again “Hey.” she said, voice still raspy. She watched as relief visibly washed over the vampire. Carmilla squeezed her hand back tighter as a smile spread across her own face. 

“Oh god,  _ Laura _ ,” Carmilla said, and suddenly she was propelling forward and her lips were on Laura’s. Laura reciprocated as best as she could as her senses flooded with Carmilla. The vampire’s lips felt impossibly soft and sweltering hot against hers. Had Carmilla always been this warm? She didn’t know, and she didn’t care as she lost herself in their gentle pressure. Suddenly the lips were gone as Carmilla speckled soft kisses over her cheeks and forehead. With her mouth free, Laura reflexively sucked in a breath and the scent of her lover was almost too much. Carmilla’s lavender shampoo, her musky body wash; undertones of salty tears, and an overpowering array of spices that was uniquely Carmilla. 

After a lingering kiss to Laura’s forehead, Carmilla finally pulled back, wrapping both hands back around Laura’s. “How do you feel?” Carmilla asked her. 

“Um, I’m not sure,” Laura said, her voice sounding a little better. “Nothing hurts, but I feel really weird, Carm, What happened?”

Carmilla swallowed before answering, her eyes focused on their hands. “You died, again, and I thought-” She paused to take a shaky breath. “I thought I couldn’t get you back this time.” Her eyes flicked up to meet Laura’s now, fresh tears pooling.

“How did you?” Laura asked, squeezing Carmilla’s hand harder. Movement was getting easier now 

“LaFontaine,” Carmilla began. “Apparently they’ve had a little vampire research pet project for a while now, working with our venom. ” Carmilla studied Laura’s face as she spoke. “They told me that they’d recently had a breakthrough. You know how turning someone into a vampire usually requires some divine intervention?” Laura nodded. She was suddenly very aware of the fact she hadn’t taken a breath for at least a minute. 

Carmilla continued. “Right, well it turns out that it’s done by a combination of transmutation and photon excitation. With enough power, you can transmute human biology into that of a vampire and use heat energy from photons to make it functional.”

“Okay,” Laura said. 

“Well, we used to think vampire venom was only useful for incapacitating prey, but, according to LaFontaine, it’s kind of like a stem cell for the transmutation. If enough of it is exposed to human cells it can start to make the change, but without heat energy, it recedes pretty quickly. Now, the thing is, LaFontaine found the right frequency to use to excite the photons to provide the right amount of energy. They just hadn’t been able to test it properly, what with it not being ethical to test on humans and all.” Laura swallowed, though her mouth was still dry. “But when you died, well, they were so sure that their calculations were correct and…” Carmilla trailed off, averting her eyes. 

A moment passed in silence as Laura waited for Carmilla to continue. Eventually, Laura prompted her. “Carm?” She asked. 

Carmilla met her gaze again then, crying in earnest now. “We turned you. God Laura, I’m so sorry. I know this was never something you wanted, and I never in a hundred lifetimes imagined doing this without your consent. I just, I couldn’t, I can’t imagine living in a world without you in it, living anywhere without you.” Carmilla hiccuped, not bothering to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. She was looking at Laura with eyes so filled with pain that Laura’s heart ached. “And I know, I know that you may hate me for this. I’ll understand. If you order me away I swear I’ll obey, I know that this was unforgivable and-”

“No.” Laura interrupted, cutting Carmilla off mid-sentence with as much force as she could muster. “Carmilla, I am so beyond happy that you brought me back,” Laura said, words coming easier now. Watching Carmilla, she felt like she could visibly see weight lifting off her.

“Really?” Carmilla asked, tentative. 

“Carm, I can’t imagine being without you either. That’s why I did what I did. Nathan Vordenburg wanted to travel back in time to kill you as a baby. Carmilla, I couldn’t stand the idea of you being gone, not just gone but erased. I would have lost the woman that I love more than anything and I wouldn’t even have remembered. So, of course, I’m not angry with you. I’m glad you brought me back.” As Laura spoke, she watched Carmilla’s eyes mist over again with new tears. “The last thing I wished I’d had was more time with you.” Laura reached up shakily and touched Carmilla’s cheek, catching a tear. “ I love you.” 

“I love you too, Cupcake,” Carmilla said, then she over and kissed Laura once more, slowly. Laura once again found herself hopelessly lost in her lover. She had no idea how much time passed before, finally, Carmilla pulled back again.

“So, I’m a vampire now?” Laura asked once Carmilla had settled back in her seat. 

“That you are my love,” Carmilla said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“I didn’t realize it’d feel so, hmm,” Laura paused. “Dry I guess? I feel really dry.” 

“Oh, of course!” Carmilla exclaimed, jumping to her feet suddenly and disappearing behind a row of cabinets that cut through the middle of the room. Laura heard something open and close, and then Laura was back at her side holding two bottles of red liquid. “You’re not dry, you’re thirsty.” She said, handing Laura a cold bottle of what Laura now saw was Hemo-Soy. Dubiously, Laura inspected it. She’d tasted it on Carmilla’s lips plenty of times and once she’d drank it straight on a dare at a party; she’d always found it pretty gross. That being said, now that Carmilla had mentioned the word thirst, she was very aware that that was what she was experiencing. She felt a slight ache in her gums. Hesitantly, she untwisted the cap, which came off with what felt like no force at all. Immediately a delicious metallic scent wafted from the open bottle, and suddenly the red liquid within didn’t seem quite so unappetizing. 

Carmilla stopped her as she tried to bring it to her mouth. “Let me help you up.” She said and slid a hand behind Laura’s back to help ease her into a sitting position on the bed. Once she was upright, Laura once again brought the bottle to her lips and tilted it up. 

As soon as the soy-based blood hit her touch she realized just how profoundly thirsty she was. This tasted nothing like how she remembered. It was thick and rich and felt like silk down her throat, sweet glucose pairing perfectly with tangy iron. She felt as though she’d been holding her breath and was finally taking in air, she felt like she was expanding, warming, coming alive. Suddenly the flow stopped and she pulled back angrily to find the bottle empty. Wordlessly, Carmilla took the empty bottle from her hands and placed the second bottle, already uncapped, in its place. Laura drank this one a little more slowly, more mindfully, savoring every bit until that bottle too was gone. 

After taking a moment to collect herself, she finally turned to Carmilla, who was looking at her expectantly. “Wow.” She said. “That’s, I mean, that’s insane.”

“Not too shabby, ey?” Carmilla said. “LaFontaine did an incredible job with this stuff.”

“No kidding!” Laura agreed, suddenly feeling very energetic. Carmilla took the other bottle from her and stowed it on the nightstand. “Where is LaFontaine anyway?” Laura asked. 

“They went home, everyone did,” Carmilla said. “They all waited here during the process, but we thought it would be best if I was the only one here when you woke up. We didn’t want you to overwhelm you. You were dead for 12 hours, and we had no idea how sensitive you’d be. How do you feel now anyway?” Carmilla asked her. Laura could feel something pumping through her veins. Not blood exactly, more like a subtle hum of energy. She felt amazing. 

“I feel great, Carm. I mean  _ really _ great. Like, I feel like I could do anything right now, which, wow, I guess I probably could. There’s so  _ much _ I can do Carm. I want to know how fast I can run, and oh! I don’t need to breathe anymore so I can stay underwater as long as I want! And-” Laura paused to look at Carmilla, who was looking at her with so much love and awe that she lost her train of thought, her unbeating heart feeling incredibly warm in her chest. “And I, um.” She stuttered. “Actually I think I can save all that stuff for later, I just want to be with you right now.” She said, pulling Carmilla in for another kiss. 

Almost immediately she realized that the Hemo-Soy was intensifying her already heightened senses. The hum of energy turned to a buzz wherever Carmilla’s unbelievably soft skin touched hers, her lover’s addictive aroma felt like a fog over her brain, narrowing her world to Carmilla. She wanted more. Egged on by her suddenly very active libido, Laura deepened the kiss, running her tongue across Carmilla’s lower lip while sliding a hand into her hair. Carmilla sighed at the contact and Laura used the opportunity to slide her tongue past Carmilla’s lips. Carmilla tasted almost painfully good. Carmilla moaned, almost imperceptibly. Laura wondered absently if she would have perceived it when she was human. Suddenly, Carmilla pulled away from her, taking a controlled breath before looking up.

“Laura, you are still so fragile right now, and you need to take things slowly.” Carmilla paused for a moment. “God, I hate having to be the responsible one.” Laura laughed then, allowing the building tension between them to dissipate. She didn’t feel particularly fragile, but she could wait. She didn’t particularly want to have her first time as a vampire in some nondescript storage room anyway. “Anyway.” Carmilla began. “If you feel well enough, I can take you home now,” Carmilla asked. 

“Absolutely,” Laura said, and slid out of the bed unaided. Carmilla chuckled at her enthusiasm as she got to her feet as well. 

“Slowly, love, you’re still getting your strength back.” She said, taking Laura’s hand to lead her through the mess of boxes and into a dark hallway. 

“Where are we, anyway?” Laura asked as they made their way down the hall and to a stairwell.

“This is the basement of LaFerry Industries' major research facility. It’s mostly used for storage and such. We wanted somewhere dim and quiet for you to wake up, so you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed, so we thought this would work well.” Carmilla said as they made their way up the stairs. They passed a few lab techs who didn’t pay them much mind as they passed through a few hallways and eventually into a lobby where they paused to be checked out by a desk attendant. Then, Carmilla led Laura into the night.


	13. Relief

Laura chattered through most of the drive home, and Carmilla loved every minute of it. She was still reeling from the events of the past 48 hours. From losing Laura to finding her and watching her die, to the awful 10 hours she spent sitting in the deep freeze while LaFontaine calibrated their machines and prepared the venom she’d provided. She’d sat there, holding Laura’s body to hers as tears froze on her cheeks. 

But now Laura was here, sitting in the passenger seat of her SUV, talking about how excited she was to go snorkeling without a snorkel. It felt surreal. Carmilla was so lost in a haze of overpowering emotion that it took her a moment to realize that Laura had asked her something.

“Carm?” Laura asked, extending a hand to gently touch Carmilla’s thigh. 

“I’m sorry, love,” Carmilla started, refocusing on the here and now. “What did you ask?” 

“Oh, well I realized I forgot to ask earlier, what exactly happened? With Nathan.” Laura’s voice had a twinge of worry like she had just considered that the nightmare may not be over. Carmilla could happily put that fear to bed. 

“You don’t have to worry about him, he won’t be hurting us or anyone else, ever again.” Carmilla turned to make brief eye contact with Laura as she spoke, before returning her eyes to the road. Laura looked at her questioningly, so she continued. “When I found you both he knew he didn’t stand a chance. I started charging him, and he threw a chair at me, but it made him trip. He fell into his godforsaken machine, and he must have severed something because electricity started surging through the whole thing, including him. He electrocuted himself. He’s dead.” Carmilla was solemn as she finished, though she couldn’t quite bring herself to be sad. 

“Oh,” Laura said, processing. “At least this is over.” 

“At least this is over.” Carmilla agreed, just as she turned into the parking garage of their apartment complex. 

She insisted on helping Laura up the flights of stairs to their door, which thoroughly annoyed the girl. She ignored this because the last thing she was going to do was let Laura get hurt ever again. When they reached the apartment Carmilla chided herself, realizing she hadn’t bothered to lock the door. They’d left in such a rush to find Laura that nothing else had crossed her mind.

Once inside, Laura crossed immediately to their fridge, pulled out another bottle of Hemo-Soy, and drank. Not quite inhaling it as violently as earlier, but still drinking with the fervor of a vampire her age. Once Laura finished, she turned to face Carmilla, an adorable smile decorating her features. In under a second, Laura crossed the kitchen again and was pressed into Carmilla. They both stumbled, and Laura took a step back, dismayed. 

“Woah, how did I do that?” She asked, looking back over the distance she’d covered. “I didn’t even mean to! it was like everything except me was in slow motion.” 

“That can be common for a while. Attuning to your new physiology takes time.” Carmilla said, taking a step forward to once again close the gap between them. She wrapped her arms gingerly around Laura and pulled until their bodies were pressing together, faces inches apart. “And I am going to be here with you the entire time.” Laura smiled at that and leaned forward to close the gap between their lips. 

Carmilla had noticed a change in Laura’s scent at the lab, but now, without the interfering odors of stored chemicals, and their bodies pressed fully together, it was even more apparent. She still smelled so deliciously and distinctly like Laura, but somehow even more so. Though there was no longer an undertone of sweet-smelling blood, Laura’s newly vampiric cells amplified everything else, filling Carmilla’s senses with her overwhelmingly intoxicating pheromones. Carmilla felt as though she was going to melt as Laura ran a hot tongue against her lower lip, tasting just a hint of strong, slightly envenomed saliva that made her feel weak in the knees. Reluctantly, she pulled out of the kiss. The disappointed look Laura gave her made her regret the action even more than she already was, but she played it off with a half-hearted chuckle. 

“Laura, it has been less than 3 hours since you turned,” Carmilla started.

“And?” Laura asked, running her hands up Carmilla’s torso until her thumbs brushed the sides of Carmilla’s breasts. Carmilla tried to fight the urge to press herself further into the touch. 

“And every nerve in your body is functioning at ten times the power as before, you’re not used to that much sensory intake. I wasn’t physically intimate with anyone for almost six months after my turning.” Carmilla said, trying to sound reasonable as she watched Laura’s gaze flick from her lips to her eyes. 

“And I get that,” Laura said, in a tone that led Carmilla to believe she did not get that whatsoever. “I really do,” Laura pushed against Carmilla as she spoke again, slowly walking her backward. “But what do you want me to do when every single one of my overly sensitive nerves-” Carmilla’s back hit the wall. “-is aching with how much I want to touch you?” Laura said and pressed her lips into Carmilla’s, hard. 

Carmilla couldn’t stop her urge to reciprocate, and within a minute Laura managed to slip her tongue past Carmilla’s lips. All resolve Carmilla had dissolved immediately at the taste and feel of Laura, new and familiar in her mouth. Finally, she let herself go against her lover, tangling her fingers in honey-brown hair and hooking her thigh around a hip just as it ground against her. Carmilla marveled at the strength behind that thrust even as she moaned at the sensation. This prompted Laura to grind again, harder this time; inhumanely so. Absently, Carmilla realized she wouldn’t be able to push away from the wall if she tried, and the knowledge that she was completely at Laura’s mercy made the heat growing between her legs increase exponentially. 

Laura’s lips were on her jaw now, trailing heat to her neck as hands simultaneously shoved Carmilla’s shirt up above her chest, grabbing roughly at the older vampire’s sports bra-clad breasts. 

“Fuck,” Carmilla managed, clutching harder at Laura's hair. Laura’s lips were at her collar bone now, leaving wet kisses on the exposed flesh just above the bunched t-shirt.

Suddenly, Laura made a pained exclamation, the lips and hands were gone. Disoriented, Carmilla looked to see Laura standing in front of her, fingers in her own mouth. 

“Are you okay, Laura?” Carmilla asked, releasing Laura’s hair and unhooking her leg. 

“I, uh,” Laura mumbled, removing her fingers from her mouth to reveal that two pearly white fangs had sprouted from her upper gums. Carmilla felt overcome with lust once again at the sight. Something about seeing the ever sweet and gentle Laura Hollis bearing the deadly appendages of a vampire stirred her in a way she had not expected. Laura, however, did not seem to be sharing the sentiment. Laura looked somewhere between confused and embarrassed, her brow adorably furrowed. Carmilla smiled, tilting Laura’s head with her hand to get a better look. 

‘Well, love, I must say you are an entirely breathtaking vampire.” She said. Laura’s features softened, but she still seemed confused. 

“But, Carm, why are they out?” Laura asked. “I mean, I’m not thirsty, and it’s not like I’m about to feed on anybody.”

“As I said before, it takes time to get used to your new physiology. Your body hasn’t learned to differentiate stimuli like this yet. All it knows is that you’re excited. Whether that be because you’re chasing prey, or because you’ve got me pinned against the wall, it’s read as the same excitement.” 

“Oh,” Laura started. “Well, can I put them away, or?” 

“Controlling them will get easier, but I doubt you’ll be able to do so right now without fully calming down.” Laura looked dubious, clearly not fancying the idea. Carmilla thought back to her first months as a vampire, how hard it had been to control her fangs. How sensitive they had been, which sparked an idea. “However, I certainly don’t mind them, and I think you may not either. May I?” Carmilla asked, leaning into Laura until their lips were almost touching. Laura nodded slightly, and Carmilla gently connected their lips. Laura had not fully closed her mouth, and so Carmilla easily slid her tongue into the girl’s mouth and gingerly ran it along the underside of a fang. 

Laura’s entire body shuddered with the motion, and she stuttered a moan into Carmilla’s mouth.“Oh my  _ god _ ,” Laura said as Carmilla withdrew from her mouth. The worry from before had evaporated, giving way to surprised wonder. “Is it, is it always like that?” 

“The oversensitivity will dull in time, though they will always be somewhat more sensitive than your regular teeth,” Carmilla said.

Laura paused a moment before speaking again, biting her lip as she seemed to consider something. When she did speak, her voice had dropped a few octaves and was bordering on the husky murmur that Carmilla loved. “You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever kissed you properly when your fangs were out…” She trailed off. It was true. Before Carmilla had been turned human, she had always taken care to be as human as possible with Laura. She had known that Laura was relatively new to everything they were doing, and hadn’t wanted to complicate their honeymoon-phase relationship with her vampiric anatomy. After she had been turned back into a vampire, the fangs served as nothing more than a bleak reminder of their uncertain future. Now though, as Laura looked up at her with blown pupils and fangs tipping over her bottom lip, Carmilla couldn’t help but smile. 

Carmilla raised her upper lip until her gums were visible and easily slid her own fangs into view. Laura swallowed dryly as she watched, running her tongue over her lower lip. Suddenly, Carmilla was overcome with the desire to have that lip in her mouth. Laura’s thoughts must not have been far off because they both darted forward at the same time, and their lips crashed together harshly. Laura whimpered as Carmilla sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and ran sharp fangs teasingly over the flesh. They were clumsy at first, both of them learning how to maneuver the fanged kiss. Soon though, they fell into a tentative rhythm, and the heat from earlier began to build between them once again. 

Carmilla shuddered as Laura ran her hands up her torso once again, this time hooking them under her sports bra and roughly pulling both the bra and shirt over her head. Once Carmilla was fully freed of clothing above the waist, Laura began pressing sloppy kisses to her chest. One of Carmilla’s hands once again became lost in Laura’s hair, while the other grabbed a fistful of Laura’s loose t-shirt.

Carmilla was about to use her grip to tug the shirt over Laura’s head when Laura ran her deliciously sharp fangs against the tender flesh of Carmilla’s breast, and her whole body convulsed. Sharp electricity sparked from the point of contact directly to Carmilla’s groin, and she whimpered, grinding her hips against Laura’s leg, which had become partially wedged between her own. 

Suddenly, Carmilla felt hands at the zipper to her jeans, and soft lips pressing against hers again. Laura’s mouth opened easily for her, and she repeated her previous motion, running a gentle tongue across one of Laura’s fangs. She reveled in the feeling of Laura tensing against her, the way Laura’s hands faltered and fumbled against her jeans before she finally got them undone. 

Laura broke the kiss to pull Carmilla’s jeans down, dropping down to her knees to help Carmilla pull her ankles out of the denim. Then, her lips were on Carmilla’s thigh, trailing warmth from her knee to her mid-thigh. Carmilla whimpered softly as Laura’s mouth crept still higher, her hot breath tickling the baby hairs on Carmilla’s inner thighs. Just barely below Carmilla’s center, Laura paused, locking her lips onto a patch of skin and sucking. Carmilla moaned in earnest then, tangling a hand in Laura’s hair. Egged on, Laura sucked harder and Carmilla felt her skin ache deliciously under the inhuman pressure. Laura released Carmilla’s leg with a loud pop and Carmilla looked down, a new wave of arousal shooting through her body at the scene before her. 

Laura was meeting her gaze with lust-blown eyes, her hair tousled in Carmilla’s hand. A hint of a smile twitched at Laura’s lips, and then she opened her mouth. Never breaking eye contact, Laura extended her tongue and licked a long strip up the rest of Carmilla’s thigh, angling inward until suddenly her mouth was on Carmilla’s center. Carmilla made a needy sound somewhere between a gasp and whimper as Laura licked a steady line through her folds, jumping when Laura reached her clit. 

“Oh my god, Carm,” Laura said against Carmilla, sounding awestruck. “You taste,  _ god, _ ” Laura paused to lick at Carmilla’s clit again, Carmilla’s hips twitching. “You taste amazing.” Carmilla whimpered at her words. She opened her mouth to reply but was quickly cut off when Laura sucked her clit into her mouth. 

Carmilla’s head hit the wall behind her as sharp pleasure shot up her spine. She tried to grind against Laura, but the angle was off and she jostled Laura’s mouth off of her. Without hesitation, Laura grabbed Carmilla’s right thigh and propped it on her shoulder. Taking advantage of the new angle, Laura pressed a firm kiss to Carmilla’s clit before lowering her mouth slightly and sliding her tongue inside. Carmilla’s whole body shuddered at the feeling, her grip on Laura’s hair becoming vice-like. Laura moaned at the feeling, and the action caused addictive vibrations within Carmilla. Carmilla was able to grind more easily now, and Laura’s tongue easily fell into the desperate pace Carmilla’s hips were setting. 

Carmilla could feel herself getting close. Laura was putting more force behind her thrusts now, more than a human could, and Carmilla was grinding into her with equally inhuman force. Carmilla felt her thighs begin to shake as her stomach muscles tensed, her whole body was becoming impossibly tight. Carmilla was vaguely aware of her supporting knee going weak as all the tension exploded into thick ripples of pleasure. 

The aftershocks were still rocking Carmilla when she realized she was no longer on the ground. Looking down, she found that Laura had tossed her other leg off her shoulder as well and was now standing up again, holding Carmilla firmly against the wall like she weighed nothing, mouth still pressed into her sex. 

“Oh my, god, Laura,” Carmilla stuttered. 

“Again,” Laura mumbled, face still buried between Carmilla’s legs.

“Wha-” Carmilla began to ask, but her voice choked off into a moan as Laura picked up speed again. Still sensitive from her last orgasm, Carmilla’s body began tensing again almost immediately. Carmilla was chanting Laura’s name, her voice reaching a feverishly high pitch as she rocketed over the edge a second time. 

Finally, Laura slowed her pace as Carmilla’s second round of aftershocks petered out. After Carmilla had stilled she felt her shaky legs being lowered and her back sliding down the wall until she was standing. Laura’s lips were on hers before she could open her eyes, and she moaned softly into the kiss as she tasted herself on Laura’s lips. After a moment Carmilla pulled back to meet Laura’s eyes, a dreamy smile on her face. 

“You’re incredible,” Carmilla murmured, stroking Laura’s cheek with her thumb. Laura smiled and pressed their lips together again in a slow kiss. Carmilla’s hand wandered from Laura’s cheek, landing on her still-clothed hip. Carmilla was suddenly very aware that Laura was still fully clothed, and that was completely unacceptable.

In one fluid motion, Carmilla pulled Laura’s shirt over her head and discarded it on the ground. Laura was pulling her back into the kiss as soon as the shirt cleared her head. Laura wasn’t wearing a bra, and Carmilla sighed happily at the feeling of Laura’s bare chest pressed against hers. Carmilla ran an eager hand up Laura’s torso, wedging it between them to squeeze a breast, running a thumb tentatively across an already-hard nipple. Carmilla was not at all prepared for the utterly pornographic sound Laura made against her mouth at the action but filled her with a need for more. 

It was Carmilla’s turn to back them up now, and she did so, pushing until Laura’s back hit the edge of their kitchen island. Carmilla dipped her hands to the backs of Laura’s thighs and pulled up until Laura fell backward onto the counter, gasping with surprise at the suddenness of the move and the shock of cold on her back. Not wasting any time, Carmilla untied the drawstring of Laura’s sweatpants and pulled both her pants and underwear down and off of her. Lost in the moment, Carmilla was about to dip down between Laura’s legs before thinking better of herself. 

“Hey, Laura?” Carmilla asked. Laura looked up to meet her gaze, looking utterly disheveled and desperate. 

“Carm?” Laura asked, her voice desperate and needy even a hint of concern peeking through her cloudy eyes. Carmilla smiled reassuringly, running a tender hand along Laura’s thigh. 

“I just want to check-in. This is going to feel a lot more intense than you’re used to. I need you to communicate if anything feels like it’s too much, or if you need me to stop. Can you do that?” Carmilla asked.

“Yeah, yeah I can,” Laura said. “Please, Carm. I want you so much I feel like I’m going to explode,” 

“Okay, okay,” Carmilla said soothingly, smiling as she pressed a gentle kiss to Laura’s knee. She kept her eyes trained on Laura’s face as she slid a hand between Laura’s legs and ran one finger gently through Laura’s impossibly soaked folds. Laura’s back arched immediately, and the breathy, desperate sound she made hit Carmilla squarely between her legs. Carmilla pushed the feeling down. “How does this feel?” She asked, repeating the motion. 

“Oh my,” Laura started, interrupted by her own whine as Carmilla’s finger barely brushed her clit. “ _ God _ ,” 

“Too much?” Carmilla asked, starting to remove her finger. Laura stopped her immediately, clamping both thighs around the hand. 

“No, no, no,” Laura sputtered. “It’s amazing, Carm, please, please don’t stop.” She was whimpering, begging, rocking her hips desperately against Carmilla’s trapped hand. It was addicting, and Carmilla’s was helpless to deny anything. Utilizing her own strength, she worked Laura’s legs apart once again and slid her finger against Laura’s clit once more. She repeated the motion a few more times, allowing Laura to grow accustomed to the sensation. Once Laura’s irregular jumps fell into a rhythm, Carmilla finally gave in to her own desires and ran her tongue through Laura’s sex.

Carmilla couldn’t help but moan at the overwhelming taste and feel of Laura in her mouth. She’d always loved the way Laura tasted, but this was almost overpowering. The familiar sweet/savory taste was hitting her tenfold, setting every nerve in her mouth on fire. She realized she’d paused as Laura’s hand found her hair, tugging needily. Shaking herself from her stupor, she got to work, sucking and licking in all the ways she knew Laura loved.

Laura’s moans reached a screaming pitch in under a minute, thighs trembling on either side of Carmilla’s head. Carmilla slid a hand up Laura’s body until she found her hand, interlocking their fingers tightly before pulling Laura’s clit into her mouth. Laura’s voice rose impossibly higher until it disappeared, her head thrown back in a silent cry, digging fingers into Carmilla’s hand and scalp. Laura’s hips bucked wildly against Carmilla as she rode out the orgasm, Carmilla only able to keep herself in place by virtue of her own inhuman strength.

Finally, Laura’s body began settling into jittering aftershocks, and Carmilla slowed her tongue to a stop as Laura’s hands loosened their grip. Tentatively, Carmilla brought her head up to find Laura looking at her in dazed wonder.

“Hey,” Laura said, a smile dancing at her lips.

“Hey,” Carmilla replied. “How do you feel?”

“Like I just had the best orgasm of my entire life,” Laura said, completely sincere. Carmilla couldn’t help but smile as she tugged Laura by her hand until she was sitting up on the island. 

“Well that makes two of us,” Carmilla said, pulling Laura in for a gentle kiss. 

__________ 

An hour later, Carmilla lay in bed, body intertwined with a very sleepy Laura. Laura’s face was tucked into her neck, and Carmilla was pressing gentle kisses to Laura’s forehead, murmuring tender  _ I love you _ ’s into her scalp. She felt a soft intake of breath. 

“Carm?” Laura whispered.

“Yes, love?” Carmilla asked. 

“Please don’t let me go, don’t ever stop holding me again,” Laura’s breath was warm, her voice slow with the drawl of exhaustion. Carmilla pressed another kiss to Laura’s forehead. 

“Never,” Carmilla murmured. She felt Laura’s body relax against her, and a moment later she too fell into a soft sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's enjoyed this story. For those who have been reading as I write, I know I promised an epilogue, but I have decided that as of right now I am going to consider this story finished. I'm sorry to those of you who wanted a little more closure. I'm not saying I never will update again, but right now I'm in my final semester of college and life is just too stressful. I hope you all understand!  
> P.S. I really enjoyed writing this! I found it very therapeutic, as I honestly was not pleased with the ending of the movie. For me, I ever wanted both Laura and Carmilla to be vampires, or both be human. The vampire-human relationship dynamic is fun for a bit but is inevitably doomed unless something changes. So, I went ahead and made that change for myself. I hope I could bring some happiness to some of your lives as well! 
> 
> XOXO,  
> A Useless Lesbian


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